Mallow is more than just a risotto

Molokhia also called mallow, is an old Egyptian dish. People cook the green leaves of the marshmallow plant and serve them as a soup. The dish left Egypt long ago plus reached Morocco besides Algeria. During the Fatimid era, Caliph Al-Mu'izz fell sick. A doctor gave him the green soup, the pain eased and the ruler told gardeners to grow the plant. Only kings but also nobles ate it - later, every Egyptian household served it. In 1805, Caliph Al-Hakim banned the soup. No one knows why. Some say it was too popular in the Levant - others say people thought it stirred desire. The leaves hold plenty of fiber - the gut works better and cholesterol stays lower. Iron as well as potassium in the leaves help the heart and keep blood pressure steady. Cooks mince fresh leaves or drop them into chicken or meat broth. The soup must turn silky - Egyptians call that stage “sweat.” At the end, they add “tasha”: crushed garlic fried in butter or ghee with coriander. Many home cooks let out a loud “gasp” as the tasha hits the pot - they believe the sound improves the taste. Recipes change from place to place. Cairo and the Delta use fresh leaves. Upper Egypt dries the leaves under the sun - the soup turns darker also a cold version named “shlolo” is served. Nubians stir in okra and crush the mix with a wooden tool named “mafrak.” Children eat the soup with rice next to rabbit. Shlolo is scooped up with fresh bread. People dip, sip or spoon it - yet molokhia stays at the heart of Egyptian tables and memory.