“Balila is an important part of our Hijazi traditions. No one can imagine Qabel Street in the Historical Area of Al-Balad without balila stands in Ramadan,” said 60-year-old Matouk Al-Sharif who sells balila in Old Jeddah every night during the holy month. Jeddah residents shopping in the old markets of the Historical Area in Ramadan cannot leave Al-Balad without eating at least a small dish of balila, which consists of boiled chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans or Bengal gram) covered with a variety of spices and sauces. Matouk Al-Sharif has sold balila in Qabel Street for 25 years. He started in the business as a child when his parents taught him how to make the traditional Hijazi dish from an old family recipe. “I started selling balila at Al-Gazzaz Plaza, then we moved to Al-Jafali Plaza and finally the municipality chose Qabel Street for the balila stands to be set up, as it is located near the markets of the Historical Area,” he said. Al-Sharif complains about some of the others who sell balila, but are relatively new to the business. He claims that they do not know how to make the dish properly, and that they use low quality chickpeas and other ingredients. “Balila has been prepared by families living in the Historical Area of Al-Balad for many, many years. We consider it a part of our heritage. Therefore, even if I do not make a good profit selling it this year, I will continue the tradition next Ramadan,” he said. Once you reach Qabel Street in Ramadan, you will hear balila sellers singing the old songs of their profession. While being interviewed by Saudi Gazette, Matouk Al-Sharif took the opportunity to demonstrate his musical talents, and with a strong voice sang: “Oh, balila! They boiled you and at Qabel Street, they have crunched you. Oh, balila! They have decorated you with lemon and hot sauce and seven maids have served you.” Most of the men selling balila wear Hijazi clothes – white thobe, turban and vest – as a mark of their deep-rooted customs and traditions. Although Al-Sharif says that his balila recipe is a closely-guarded family secret, he agreed to give Saudi Gazette a few tips on how to prepare the tasty dish. “You must buy the best quality chickpeas, and you should soak them in room temperature water for eight hours changing the water frequently. Then rinse them several times and cook them in fresh water. After that, they will be ready to be sold,” he explained. He said that some customers order boiled potatoes with their balila along with different kinds of spices, vinegar and “torshi”, a mixture of cucumbers with sumac, salt and lemon juice. A small plate of balila costs SR5, while a large one sells for SR8 plus SR3 if the customer asks for boiled potatoes with his balila. Al-Sharif rents his balila stand for SR500 for the month of Ramadan, and he takes in between SR200 and SR300 per day. “I would like to sell balila every day of the year as it is a part of our Hijazi heritage. In fact, it could be a good source of fixed income for the widows and orphans of Al-Balad district,” he said. He added that there are increased demands for balila these days, especially from young people and tourists who visit the Historical Area in the holy month of Ramadan. “The other day a Japanese tourist insisted on putting on a turban and selling balila with me. Then he took many photos of me and my balila stand. He refused to leave till I sang the old balila songs for him. It was really something that I will never forget,” Al
