Congratulations to those of you who knew what these roots were!
Called shilsh al-halawa or soapwort or Bois de Panama roots , these are used to make natef. Natef is a type of meringue, similar in texture to marshmallow fluff, that is served alongside a semolina and pistachio pastry called karabij.
These roots are also used to clean Persian rugs here in Lebanon (of course, the method is different than for natef!). If you care to know more about these roots, click here.
Their uses and benefits are numerous!
Seek them out in the US at Middle-Eastern grocers or health food stores or Chinese herbal shops. Another option is to plant them yourself!
The method that I followed was simple; first, soak the roots in water overnight; dump the water and cover the roots with more fresh water. Bring the mixture to a boil and dump the water. Add more fresh water and this time boil the roots for a while until the liquid has evaporated save for a pint. The liquid will have taken on a reddish tint. Cool and drain, placing the liquid in a mixing bowl.
Prepare a sugar syrup and while the syrup is cooking, start beating the soapwort liquid in a mixer at high speed; it will start to froth immediately. Add the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream. The meringue will form within minutes. Add some rose water or another flavoring if you wish. Serve.
NOTE: I will provide an exact recipe once I am done experimenting with it. It will be included in an upcoming cookbook I am working on. If you would like a recipe, I have found one on Anissa‘s blog.
Please note that this meringue does not contain any egg white. There are recipes for natef using egg white (uncooked) but I prefer to avoid them.
30 Comments
Loving this treat! How sweet it is….
Wow, that is such an interesting recipe and speciality! Wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ve seen soapwart in my local middle eastern market but never knew what it was used for- I’ll have to try this! Merci pour toutes vos recettes delicieuses et bonne continuation!
This is really something new to me! Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your recipe.
C’est vraiment quelque chose de nouveau pour moi! Merci pour le partage.
Wow this is chemistry at its best!
Would love to try experimenting with it!
Comme un nuage gourmand…léger, léger…
where did you get that Joumana from Dabbous????
oh I cannot wait to be there…. yalla wait for me
@Arlette: I got it from Haj Naji in Aishe Bakkar, a store that says on its banner “We are the original Dabbous!”
@Sophia: I heard that too, so you may not be far from the truth!
@Magda: Actually soapwort is native to Europe and Asia (acc. to Wikipedia!), so I am sure it could be found (I would head to the Middle-Eastern stores first). I even read that the Greeks used it.
@Melissa: I think that honey would be fine to use, as long as it is hot when you pour it.
@Malcolm: Yes, it is also known as Bois de Panama and I have included this name as well just now.
Wow how intriguing! I had no idea what those roots were, though I was tempted to say it’s the roots used in Chinese medicine…haha.
What an amazing ingredient, Joumana. And that meringue looks so fluffy.
I don’t think I’ll be able to find that root in Europe though…
A really fun and interesting ‘meringue’ recipe!
Gotta to find some soapwort roots to try too!
Interesting meringue! I will now be on the watch for these roots. Congrats on a cookbook. Will look forward to hearing more.
Would it be possible to make the recipe using honey? Perhaps a diluted honey so it wouldn’t be too thick a syrup? I am trying to avoid refined sugar. Love all that you post, Joumana!
I didn’t know about soapwart, so great to learn about this ingredient and the meringue with it, is gorgeous!
I love that there is no egg in this yummy sounding dessert, can’t wait for the recipe. I’ve heard of soapwort but only as a cleaner. I will definitely have to find some to experiment with now.
I had never heard of soapwart roots in my life! Thanks for the info
Hi, I knew this as bois de Panama. Is it one and the same?
Quelle est la différence entre les karabijs et les maamouls?
@Halim: les karabij sont plus délicats parce que la proportion de semoule fine y est plus grande; en plus les karabij n’ont pas d’eau parfumée dans la pâte.
Joumana – I have something called “shikakai”, is it the same thing?
@Linda: Can you give me more details, where did you get it, what does it look like, etc?
Have you by any chance finalized a recipe for this with proportions? I would love to give it a shot this weekend. I brought some Soapwort roots from Beirut when I visited this past June but have not found a reliable recipe.
@E.Nassar: I have been so busy working on the Iraqi cookbook; today is the deadline for the manuscript and finally now I can concentrate on the Lebanese one. However, start with a couple of twigs, boil them once (soak them overnight) and then dump the water and start over. It will froth quickly and then you add to it a sugar syrup. Start with small quantities, 1 cup of syrup in one cup of natef liquid; I will have more details for you later on, of wait for my cookbook!
Looking forward to your Lebanese book Joumana. I’ll make sure to pick it up when it’s out! I might try the natif this weekend with Karabij for a dinner for friends. I’ll let you know how it turned out.
Thanks,
Elie
@Elie: Good luck!
I whipped the Natef right before serving the Karabij and it worked very well using a cup of syrup per cup of boiled soapwort liquid. Within 10 minutes or so it separated into a foam layer and a syrup layer. I had served everyone by then though and they all enjoyed the texture and flavor.
@E. Nassar: That’s great! This is one of the stumbling blocks with the natef; mine started separating after 12 hours. Still I would like to make it really stiff and creamy for at least a couple of days!
Joumana, could you write a more precise amounts of water and root for the preparation of the extract? I want to try, if I do not find where to buy a ready extract.
Many thanks
@Elena: This is on my list. Will let you know when I do.