Halas (food)
Halas (Arabic: حلص, romanized: Ḥlṣ) is a Yemeni food made of halaṣ leaf. The food is eaten during drought periods in Yemen.[1]
The halaṣ leaves have a very bitter taste but they are boiled in water until the taste is gone. It is then added to traditional buttermilk known as ḥaqin.[1]
Ḥalaṣ is often confused with halqa or ghulaf (Cyphostemma digitatum (Forssk.)), which, according to Lisan al-Arab, is a plant that grows in Yemen whose leaves are similar in shape to vine leaves. It is roasted and dried, then used over meat.[1][2] Halqa is used in traditional Yemeni ethnomedicine.[3]
In 2018, people of the Yemeni town of Tihamah have survived by eating halaṣ due to the famine in that area.[4]
Etymology
The name of Ḥalaṣ is mentioned in Yemeni poems and proverbs. The latter include "People have starved until they ate Ḥalaṣ" and "Even if I ate Ḥalaṣ, I will not left it up".
According to Mutahar al-Iryani, a Yemen historian and poet, the term Ḥalaṣ came from the word Ḥalaḏ̣ (ḥlẓ), mentioned in ancient Yemeni inscriptions; it means to suffer from starvation, sickness or pain.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Iryānī, Muṭahhar ʻAlī (1996). المعجم اليمني: في اللغة والتراث، حولة مفردات خاصة من اللهجة اليمنية (in Arabic). [س.ن.]،. pp. 193, 194, 195.
- ^ دياب, كوكب (2001-01-01). المعجم المفصل في الأشجار والنباتات في لسان العرب - لونان (in Arabic). Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية. ISBN 978-2-7451-3138-6.
- ^ Al-Duais, Mohammed; Jetschke, Gottfried (2012-01-01). "The Miraculous Plant halqa (Cyphostemma digitatum): From Grandmother's Kitchen in Yemen's South-western Highlands to Modern Medicinal and Culinary Applications". Herbal Medicine in Yemen: 167–184. doi:10.1163/9789004232075_011.
- ^ "Yemenis in an isolated district eat leaves to survive". AP NEWS. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
