Asida

Asida is a grain dish made by vigorously kneading hot flour and shaping it into a glossy mound. It is eaten in Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula, and in various parts of Africa. Served with honey and melted butter, it becomes a sweet dish, and there is also a meal-style version served with meat broth.

Kneading Flour into Shape

Wheat flour is added to hot water and stirred, and the dough that forms is kneaded with a wooden spatula until smooth. In one Yemeni example, water is added once more and the dough is cooked further, kneaded again, and then set on a plate in a round shape. A well is made in the center, and with honey and ghee added, the rustic flavor of the grain is joined by sweetness and the aroma of milk fat.

When flour is added to hot water, the starch absorbs the water and becomes sticky. Thorough mixing reduces lumps of flour and brings the dough together into a uniform mass. Some versions use whole wheat flour or other grains, and the color and flavor vary with the ingredients.

Even under the same name, asida at the table does not necessarily mean only a sweet. A family record of Yemeni cooking includes memories of the family gathering around it with savory dishes alongside. Whether served with honey or as a meal, it begins with kneading flour. In one example from Sudanese Kitchen, which introduces Sudanese cuisine, sorghum flour is mixed with water and yogurt, fermented overnight, then cooked in hot water and cooled. A stew called mullah is poured around the set asida to serve.

Highland Tools and a Celebratory Dish

In the Yemeni highland method featured in the magazine Folk Culture, milk and flour are mixed with a branched wooden stick called a marbasha; when the mixture becomes very thick, the cook switches to a mifwash, which has a thick end, and kneads it further. Depending on how firm the dish is, it may be finished with the first stick alone.

The same magazine also introduces shajur, which has been handed down in the villages of the Al-Kafr highlands in Ibb Governorate. It is made with whole milk and finely ground wheat flour: small pieces of kneaded dough are returned to the milk and cooked until thickened. It is seasoned with a little sugar and salt, and finished by pouring ghee and honey into a well in the center. It is described as a dish made for special occasions, and both its ingredients and its method differ from those of the dish made by kneading flour with hot water.

Glossary