Halas (food)

Halas (Arabic: حلص‎, romanized: Ḥlṣ) is a Yemeni food that is made of Ḥalaṣ leaf. The food is eaten during drought periods in Yemen.[1]

The Ḥalaṣ leaf have a very bitter taste but they are boiled in water until the taste is gone. It is then added to traditional buttermilk known as ḥaqin.[1]

The Ḥalaṣ is often confused with Ḥalqa or Ghulaf (Cyphostemma digitatum (Forssk.)) which according to Lisan al-Arab book, is a plant that grows in Yemen and its leaf are similar in shape to vine leaf and it is roasted and dried then used over meat.[1][2] The Halqa is used in the traditional Yemeni ethnomedicine.[3]

Etymology

The name of Ḥalaṣ is mentioned in Yemeni poems and proverbs. Proverbs such as

  • "جاع القوم حتى اكلو الحلص" People have starved until they ate Ḥalaṣ.
  • "والله لو اكلت الحلص ما تركت هذا الامر" Even if I ate Ḥalaṣ, I will not left it up.

According to Mutahar al-Iryani, a Yemen historian and poet, the term Ḥalaṣ came from the word Ḥalaḏ̣ (ḥlẓ) that is mentioned in ancient Yemeni inscriptions and it means to suffer from starvation, sickness or pain.[1]

Yemen famine

The Yemeni people of Tihamah have been eating Ḥalaṣ due to the famine in that area.[4]

References
  1. Iryānī, Muṭahhar ʻAlī (1996). المعجم اليمني: في اللغة والتراث، حولة مفردات خاصة من اللهجة اليمنية (in Arabic). [س.ن.]،. pp. 193, 194, 195.
  2. دياب, كوكب (2001-01-01). المعجم المفصل في الأشجار والنباتات في لسان العرب - لونان (in Arabic). Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية. ISBN 978-2-7451-3138-6.
  3. Al-Duais, Mohammed; Jetschke, Gottfried (2012-01-01). "The Miraculous Plant halqa (Cyphostemma digitatum): From Grandmother's Kitchen in Yemen's South-western Highlands to Modern Medicinal and Culinary Applications". Herbal Medicine in Yemen: 167–184. doi:10.1163/9789004232075_011.
  4. "Yemenis in an isolated district eat leaves to survive". AP NEWS. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
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