For Foodies: Farah

“The first four years were mostly experimental in terms of stock,” said Palestinian owner Shedid Bessisso. “I was trying to figure out the European tastes.” He discovered, for example, that desserts from the Maghreb were just too sweet for Czechs, but the Middle Eastern ones were more palatable.

Bessisso directly imports his products from Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, India, Pakistan, Morocco, and the Balkans—an impressive roster of countries, which accurately reflects his shop’s diverse inventory. (That said, Farah does have a case of what I like to call The Classic Potraviny Syndrome, because items like Heinz baked beans and purple sauerkraut have infiltrated the shelves.) Someday in the future, he’d love to carry Palestinian products, but at the moment, customs checks and other complications have proven too difficult.

Since the very beginning, the halal meat counter has been a cornerstone of his shop. He carries different cuts of lamb, mutton, beef, and chicken, which are delivered fresh from Germany every other day.  As an added treat, they offer homemade lamb Merguez sausages—which are so popular, they often receive phone calls to reserve them in advance. 

Even for non-Muslims, cooking with halal meat has its advantages. Because all the blood is thoroughly drained from the animal, you can prepare a very clear broth from the meat. Mr. Bessisso suggested boiling lamb with bay leaves, cardamom and dried lemons, which you could then use instead of plain water for preparing rice or lentils.

While I was waiting in line at the meat counter (and listening to the musical sound of Arabic between the butcher and the customer), I noticed the colorful clay tagines decorating the counter. They reminded me of the cooking class I had taken in Morocco a few years ago. I decided it was high time I dug out (and dusted off) my chicken tagine recipe so I ordered two chicken thighs and legs, and I couldn’t resist getting a few Merguez sausages too.

I knew I had the right spices at home already—ground cumin, ground ginger and yellow colorant–but I needed to buy olives and preserved lemons. Farah has six different olive mixes, all from Morocco (which means the fruit is bigger and they have a smaller pit). The shop assistant recommended the purplish-colored ones for a tagine, so I got 200g along with some black olives and a container of preserved lemons.

All I can say is “Mmmmmmm” (imagine a loud lip-smacking sound). The tagine tasted just as I remembered, which I guess it should with careful preparation and authentic ingredients. The preserved lemons add such a tangy flavor that it had me licking my plate clean. When I look at the pictures, my mouth starts watering all over again.

After our feast, besides being completely stuffed, I was more than willing to overlook Farah’s cluttered shelves and non-thematic products like the sauerkraut and baked beans. Without having to hire a babysitter, I had exchanged the dreary, wintery streets of Prague for the bustling markets of Morocco, in the living room of my own home. That’s what good food is all about.

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