Presentation of paper "The Manifestations of the Mediterranean Diet in Egyptian Intangible Cultural Heritage" had been done by Mr. Mohamed Badry - in collaboration with his colleague Ms. Azza Abd El Maqsoud - under the theme "Social Values Embodied in Diverse Patterns of Tangible and Intangible Heritage" within HU-BTU Fifth International Conference on Heritage Conservation and Site Management "Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: A Tourism Perspective".
Abstract:
The Mediterranean diet was inscribed in 2013 on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It is considered knowledgably a life style including a group of activities. Although this inscription was exclusively restricted in some European states, researcher can estimate some of its manifestations within the forms of living heritage in Egypt. Paper will view some examples of cities where people indirectly apply the Mediterranean diet including various actions such as traditional food, crafts, social practices and construction. Moreover, it will present recommendations which help linking culturally and economically between the Mediterranean diet-related activities and the Egyptian cultural identity. Respectively, this linkage will contribute raising an awareness of the Egyptian local community for the cultural significance of an intangible cultural heritage and pushing them to preserve, as an initial inventory body, their heritage and operationalize the factor of sustainability through transforming knowledge along the coming generations.
Presentation Script:
The Mediterranean Diet is a life style which was inscribed in 2013 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity among seven state parties (Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Portugal). It is more than a nutritional regimen, going well beyond the gastronomic aspects strictly linked to local produces, encompassing cultural, social, agricultural and traditional practices of the States facing onto the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean Diet includes four main sections. It mainly depends on the traditional meals or dishes which are prepared using the common ingredients of the Mediterranean food. Eating together is the foundation of the cultural identity and continuity of communities throughout the Mediterranean basin. Then, the need of making these traditional meals generates some of traditional crafts such as farming, harvesting, and fishing as well as other traditional crafts and craftsmanship. Then, these crafts generates a group of social practices and the festive events, in relation to whatever a craft, expressing a moment of social exchange and communication, an affirmation and renewal of family, group or community identity. Finally, the pervious sections create indirectly additional section in relation to art, decoration and construction. The human being, who are working in farming, harvesting, or fishing, use the surrounding materials, traditions or scenes to construct or decorate their dwellings.
The Mediterranean Diet was inscribed according to five ICH criteria. Unfortunately, from our point of view, Egypt has only the first and second criteria.
Now, we will shed light on some examples from Egyptian cities, where people indirectly apply the Mediterranean diet including various actions such as traditional food, crafts, social practices and construction.
First of all is Siwa Oasis where is located inside the geographical borders of Marsa Matruh governorate. We can note that the governorate emblem has a symbol of two ingredients of the Mediterranean food "Palm trees or indirectly dates and Olive trees".
Traditional Siwan cuisines have the majority of Mediterranean food's ingredients. Also, Siwan kitchen joins about 29 culinary typologies shared by the Mediterranean people.
There are common traditional dishes in Siwa, which are divided from Amazegh kitchen, such as Makhmakh (herbs + Mutton meat), lentil + chard, and El Boh Mardam (Shali rice + Mutton meat + spices). The major of cooking typologies in Siwa or Amazegh kitchen is a barbecue style.
There is exceedingly tasteful food prepared especially during a ceremony or puja. Pua, is a sweet tasting dessert prepared during ceremony or puja with powdered rice, sugar, milk, honey, and ghee.
Also, there is a historical Siwan dessert "Tagellan Inteni" that to be a unique Siwan dish made from (ground dates + wheat flour + olive oil + water), then to be cooked or to be baked.
At the current time, we can estimate its modern productions via these Egyptian productions. Unfortunately, there is not an awareness for the integration between the authentic value and the modern figure.
Here, we can estimate the generated craft in Siwa regarding the main ingredients (Date and olive) in Siwa. Regardless of the existence of the crafts of farming and harvesting, there is other group of crafts such as Olive oil manufacturing, Date packaging manufacturing, as well as the handicrafts like curtains made of dates seeds; chairs; rope; and baskets woven from palm leafs, used to carry vegetables, dates and bread;
The ornaments and art in Siwa are effected by the surrounding environment including palm and olive trees. Also, we can note this plate for one of Siwan Artists Mr. Yussef Ibrahim describing a traditional drying and processing of harvested dates in Siwa Oasis.
Then, the built vernacular architectural heritage in Siwa "Karsheef Style" depends mainly using the date palm trunks as floor beams and the date palm fronds as a fence.
The Mediterranean diet plays a vital role in cultural spaces, festivals and celebrations, bringing together people of all ages, conditions and social classes. The Mediterranean diet-related social practices in Siwa is embodied in the rituals of annual date palm festival or the harvest festival.
Second Egyptian city or governorate is the cities of Kafr el-Shiekh governorate. We can note that the governorate emblem has a symbol of two ingredients of the Mediterranean food "fish and rice".
The traditional cuisine in both urban and rural cities in Kafr el-Shiekh depend on four ingredients (fish – rice – vegetables – spices) whatever the culinary typology.
Actually, the Mediterranean diet in Kafr el-Sheikh involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning fishing, and particularly the sharing and consumption of food.
Markets play a key role as spaces for cultivating and transmitting the Mediterranean diet during the daily practice of exchange, agreement and mutual respect. So, the Mediterranean diet-related practices in Kafr el-Sheikh is embodied in the socio-economic practices "local commerce" throughout the interaction between sellers and local consumers.
The art and decorating the local settlements in Kafr el-Sheikh are effected by the surrounding environment including fish, fishing, and traditional cuisines or meals.
It has been asserted that the cereals are occupied the main ingredients in Egyptian dish, among the ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet's cuisines, in the form of bread, pasta, and rice.
Regarding the Mediterranean Diet pyramid, we can include Egypt among the Mediterranean diet's state parties. This new pyramid follows "the traditional Mediterranean Diet pyramid": at the base, foods that should sustain the diet, and at the upper levels, foods to be eaten in moderate amounts. Moreover, social and cultural elements characteristic of the Mediterranean way of life are incorporated in the graphic design. So, it is not just about prioritizing some food groups from others, but also paying attention to the way of selecting, cooking and eating them. It also reflects the composition and number of servings of meals.
If the Egyptian governmental authorities collaborate together registering the Mediterranean Diet lifestyle in Egypt, Egypt will get a great chance joining a real international sustainable development methodology. There are a group of positive socio-economic intercultural results as the following:
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Curating the heritage characteristics of EG cities "Reviving the national cultural Identity at each city".
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Decreasing the national debt via operationalizing the national export and import process among MED. State Parties, regarding the MED. Diet ingredients.
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Upgrading the national income via to save the level of foreign currencies.
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Activating the national and international "cultural" tourism. In collaboration diplomatically with MED. State Parties, Egyptian cultural tourism obtains new distribution channels.
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Delivering the "cultural" tourism among the whole EG cities.
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Creating a new type of heritage tourism "Social Exchange Tourism" with MED. State Parties. Egypt can deliver its Mediterranean culture with these state parties creating events, festivals, and fairs presenting our MED.–related traditional foods, crafts, and so on.
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Transforming practically the heritage knowledge from generation to generation via to invest the role of women in EG society. Women play an important role in transmitting knowledge of the Mediterranean diet: they safeguard its techniques, respect seasonal rhythms and festive events, and transmit the values of the element to new generations.
Recommendations:
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Applying the WHC ICH criteria (3 – 5) of inscribing the Mediterranean diet
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Creating a legislative action regarding the international conventions of safeguarding “ICH”.
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Creating a research and documentation project, in collaboration with the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, to preserve the Mediterranean diet-derived practices in Egypt.
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Viewing the popular dishes at the menu of the local restaurants as well as a tourism restaurants.
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Cooperating with governmental and non-governmental entities to put directly an intangible heritage in general and the Mediterranean diet in particular at the actions of the national sustainable development plan.
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Promoting nationally and internationally the popular festive events.