Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Sweet smell of success for Syrian refugee in Jordan

-

Aromas of orange blossom, almond and coconut waft from the northern Jordan shop of Mazen Obeido, a 42-year-old Syrian who never imagined he would prosper again far from home.

"In Damascus I had several shops and everything was fine, but a year after the outbreak of the war, I left everything behind," said the master pastry chef and father of three who said he no longer felt safe in his home country.

So he decided to start again from scratch and hired a property in Irbid north of Amman, half of which became his kitchen and the other half the shop.

Around 200,000 refugees from Syria now live in the town 89 kilometres (55 miles) north of the capital.

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido flew special tools to Jordan to make traditional delicacies from his hom...
Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido flew special tools to Jordan to make traditional delicacies from his homeland such as sesame cakes and baklava
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

Jordan hosts about 650,000 people who have fled from neighbouring Syria because of the conflict that erupted there in 2011, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The authorities in Amman say the number is double that -- at 1.3 million.

According to the UNHCR, more than 80 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live below the poverty line.

"I worked night and day without stop," said Obeido, whose efforts have paid off and meant he could again expand.

- Barazek and baklava -

Mazen Obeido  pictured here at one of his five traditional sweet shops in the northern Jordanian tow...
Mazen Obeido, pictured here at one of his five traditional sweet shops in the northern Jordanian town of Irbid, fled Syria a year after war broke out
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

"I opened a second shop, then a third, a fourth and then a fifth," he said, proud to continue a trade that was passed down from father to son.

Sesame cakes, baklava, semolina cakes sprinkled with pistachios or traditional ice-cream -- he makes and sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large trays in his stores in Syria.

There, "Jordanians came in their dozens to my shops. At weekends, they bought up 90 percent of my pastries which were much cheaper than in Jordan," he recalled.

Syria was once a gourmet's paradise, with its barazek -- small biscuits sprinkled with pistachio and sesame seeds -- its mabrouma baklava rolls and its cheese sweets.

In his bakeries and shops where Obeido employs around 100 people, mostly Syrians, his delicacies are created with special implements from his homeland.

Syria was once a gourmets' paradise  with its barazek biscuits  mabrouma baklava rolls and chee...
Syria was once a gourmets' paradise, with its barazek biscuits, mabrouma baklava rolls and cheese sweets
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

"In order to make high-quality Damascus sweets, you need special tools from Syria," Obeido said.

"Bringing them to Jordan by air cost a lot, but the results are incredible."

He is delighted that many compatriots who have learned the trade thanks to his help have gone into business outside Jordan by opening pastry shops in Turkey, France, Germany and as far away as Canada and the United States.

- Learning to fish -

Recalling the proverb that it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than give him a fish, Obeido said he wants to help his fellow Syrians, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled the war.

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large tra...
Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large trays in his stores in Syria
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

"I want to teach them the trade so they can live in dignity -- I want them to learn how to fish for themselves," he said.

With the help of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Obeido has begun free training sessions for the most vulnerable refugees, such as widows and girls with no means of support.

"I love my work -- the smells here are a constant reminder of my country," said 22-year-old Haifa al-Ali from Aleppo, Syria's one-time commercial capital.

A nurse she underwent three months' training before joining one of Obeido's pastry kitchens.

Even though pastries prepared in Jordan are a reminder of home, "they taste different at home in Syria, with family and friends," said teacher and mother of three Arwa Nabulsi, summing up the frustration felt by her compatriots forced into exile.

Aromas of orange blossom, almond and coconut waft from the northern Jordan shop of Mazen Obeido, a 42-year-old Syrian who never imagined he would prosper again far from home.

“In Damascus I had several shops and everything was fine, but a year after the outbreak of the war, I left everything behind,” said the master pastry chef and father of three who said he no longer felt safe in his home country.

So he decided to start again from scratch and hired a property in Irbid north of Amman, half of which became his kitchen and the other half the shop.

Around 200,000 refugees from Syria now live in the town 89 kilometres (55 miles) north of the capital.

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido flew special tools to Jordan to make traditional delicacies from his hom...

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido flew special tools to Jordan to make traditional delicacies from his homeland such as sesame cakes and baklava
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

Jordan hosts about 650,000 people who have fled from neighbouring Syria because of the conflict that erupted there in 2011, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The authorities in Amman say the number is double that — at 1.3 million.

According to the UNHCR, more than 80 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live below the poverty line.

“I worked night and day without stop,” said Obeido, whose efforts have paid off and meant he could again expand.

– Barazek and baklava –

Mazen Obeido  pictured here at one of his five traditional sweet shops in the northern Jordanian tow...

Mazen Obeido, pictured here at one of his five traditional sweet shops in the northern Jordanian town of Irbid, fled Syria a year after war broke out
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

“I opened a second shop, then a third, a fourth and then a fifth,” he said, proud to continue a trade that was passed down from father to son.

Sesame cakes, baklava, semolina cakes sprinkled with pistachios or traditional ice-cream — he makes and sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large trays in his stores in Syria.

There, “Jordanians came in their dozens to my shops. At weekends, they bought up 90 percent of my pastries which were much cheaper than in Jordan,” he recalled.

Syria was once a gourmet’s paradise, with its barazek — small biscuits sprinkled with pistachio and sesame seeds — its mabrouma baklava rolls and its cheese sweets.

In his bakeries and shops where Obeido employs around 100 people, mostly Syrians, his delicacies are created with special implements from his homeland.

Syria was once a gourmets' paradise  with its barazek biscuits  mabrouma baklava rolls and chee...

Syria was once a gourmets' paradise, with its barazek biscuits, mabrouma baklava rolls and cheese sweets
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

“In order to make high-quality Damascus sweets, you need special tools from Syria,” Obeido said.

“Bringing them to Jordan by air cost a lot, but the results are incredible.”

He is delighted that many compatriots who have learned the trade thanks to his help have gone into business outside Jordan by opening pastry shops in Turkey, France, Germany and as far away as Canada and the United States.

– Learning to fish –

Recalling the proverb that it is better to teach someone how to fish rather than give him a fish, Obeido said he wants to help his fellow Syrians, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled the war.

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large tra...

Syrian refugee Mazen Obeido sells in Jordan the same products that used to be displayed on large trays in his stores in Syria
KHALIL MAZRAAWI, AFP

“I want to teach them the trade so they can live in dignity — I want them to learn how to fish for themselves,” he said.

With the help of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Obeido has begun free training sessions for the most vulnerable refugees, such as widows and girls with no means of support.

“I love my work — the smells here are a constant reminder of my country,” said 22-year-old Haifa al-Ali from Aleppo, Syria’s one-time commercial capital.

A nurse she underwent three months’ training before joining one of Obeido’s pastry kitchens.

Even though pastries prepared in Jordan are a reminder of home, “they taste different at home in Syria, with family and friends,” said teacher and mother of three Arwa Nabulsi, summing up the frustration felt by her compatriots forced into exile.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

World

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks after signing legislation authorizing aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan at the White House on April 24, 2024...

World

AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla face damaging allegations about an EU parliamentarian's aide accused of spying for China - Copyright AFP Odd...

Business

Meta's growth is due in particular to its sophisticated advertising tools and the success of "Reels" - Copyright AFP SEBASTIEN BOZONJulie JAMMOTFacebook-owner Meta on...

World

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads prayers by the coffins of seven Revolutionary Guards killed in an April 1 air strike on the...