That Translator Can Cook: Ful Medames
Stewed and mashed fava (and garbanzo) beans topped with garlic, lemon juice, and salt; and typically garnished with fresh chopped parsley. Other garnishes/toppings could include olive oil, tahini, tomato sauce, butter, chopped onions, and boiled or fried eggs.
Image Source: elwatan140
Ful medames is a good way to start the day: it’s healthy and filling. I prefer mine with chopped parsley and onions, and lemon juice. I’ve never tried ful medames with fried eggs before, but it sounds so delicious that I just might make it today!
According to some sources, fava beans [main ingredient of ful medames] can be traced back to ancient Egypt: “remnants of ful medames were uncovered in a number of the 12th Dynasty (1991-1786 B.C.) Pharonic tombs in Egypt.” Fava bean seeds were excavated from Neolithic storage pits in the Galilee region, dated “between 9,890–10,160 YBP (‘years before present,’ a radiocarbon dating method with 1950 as the base year).”
Today, it is a staple of the Egyptian diet, and it’s very popular in many other Middle Eastern countries: I’m not ashamed to say that I would eat canned ful medames when I was studying at University of Jordan, though that’s not the best way to eat ful medames. It’s traditionally cooked in a large metal jug-shaped pot called a dammasa and sold in sandwiches or possibly in a bowl. Take a look at this article to see how ful medames is served on the streets of Cairo-it looks so delicious with the sandwiches and condiments/toppings!
There many health benefits from eating fava beans because they:
are loaded with nutrients: plant protein, folate and several other vitamins and minerals.
may help with Parkinson’s disease symptoms: Fava beans are rich in levodopa (L-dopa), a compound that your body converts to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
may help prevent birth defects (folate promotes health fetal development).
contain immune-boosting nutrients.
are beneficial for bone health: Fava beans are rich in manganese and copper-two nutrients that may prevent bone loss.
may improve symptoms of anemia because fava beans are rich in iron-an iron deficiency can lead to anemia.
may improve high blood pressure: they are rich in magnesium and potassium, which may relax blood vessels and prevent high blood pressure.
may aid weight loss: fava beans contain a large amount of protein and fiber without a high load of calories.
may help lower cholesterol: Most of the fiber in fava beans is soluble and may help lower cholesterol levels.
One interesting/scary thing I found is that a genetic disorder called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency that affects people of East Mediterranean origin (males in particular) is exacerbated by eating fava beans: the phenomenon is called favism. Because fava beans are rich in glucosides, which people with G6PD deficiency can’t break down, they suffer from acute hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells) whenever they eat fava beans, and this can be life-threatening in children.
Here is how to make this tasty and healthy dish (recipe belongs to Tripolitan Cuisine [المطبخ الطرابلسي]).
Ingredients
500 g (~18 oz.) of fava beans
350 g (~12 oz.) of garbanzo beans
1/3 cup of lemon/lime juice
1 teaspoon of salt
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of minced parsley for the garnish
Steps
In a big enough bowls, soak the beans (separate the fava and garbanzo beans) with the baking soda overnight.
On the following day, after washing the beans, put them each in a separate pot on high heat. Boil them.
When the water boils, remove the white foam on the surface; let it simmer on low heat until the beans are fully cooked.
Take the fava and garbanzo beans off the stove and set them aside until they cool.
Crush the garlic with the salt.
Put two cups of fava beans and one cup of garbanzo beans in a big bowl with the garlic, salt, and juice. Mash them with a pestle until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining whole beans, if any, to the bowl.
Pour it into a serving platter and garnish with parsley and olive oil.
Translators’ Discussion
Since most recipes and articles about ful medames state that lemon juice is used, I translated عصير حامض as ‘lemon juice.’ Is there another way to translate this?
When the recipe was describing how to soak the beans, it used the phrase في وعاء مناسب (lit. in an appropriate/suitable bowl), but I went with “in a big enough bowl” because I couldn’t think of another reason to remind people to use an ‘appropriate/suitable’ bowl other than size. What do you think?
I translated حصوص ثوم as ‘cloves of garlic.’ Is there another way to translate this?