Tharid

Tharid (Arabic: ثريد, also known as trid, taghrib, tashreeb or thareed) is a bread soup that originates from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, an Arab cuisine also found in many other Arab countries. Like other bread soups, it is a simple meal of broth and bread, in this instance crumbled flatbread moistened with broth or stew.^[1] Historically, the flatbread used was probably stale and unleavened.^[2] As an Arab national dish it is considered strongly evocative of Arab identity during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to a widespread legend, this unremarkable and humble dish was the prophet's favorite food.^[3]

Tharid

Tharid
Alternative names	Trid, taghrib, tashreeb or thareed
Type	Stew
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Region or state	North Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia
Serving temperature	Main dish
Main ingredients	Bread, vegetable or meat broth
Media: Tharid

It is a common Ramadan dish.^[4]

Origin

The dish is a mainstay of Arab culture, notable in that it is mentioned in a number of hadith attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, in which he said that tharid was the best of all dishes, being superior to all others in the same way that his beloved third wife, the wise young Aishah, was superior to all other women.^[5]

Spread

Tharid is not only widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, but also in North Africa, where it is known as trid; Turkey, where it is known as tirit; and even in Xinjiang, where it is known as terit. Multiple variations of the recipe were brought to Spain by the Arabs. The Moroccan rfissa is created by ladling a chicken and lentil stew on top of thin crepe-like flatbread (warqa) that has been cut into long thin pieces. In Syria, a similar dish named fatteh is a mix of roasted and minced flatbread with yogurt and cooked meat. In Indonesia, tharid is known via Malay cuisine, due to Arab influences on Malay culinary culture.^[6]

The dish also spread into Portugal, where it evolved to be a bread soup with cilantro, garlic, and eggs known as açorda Alentejana.^[7]

Consumption

Dipping the bread into the broth and eating it with the meat is the simplest method of eating tharid. Another variation involves stacking the bread and the meat in several layers.

It is a common Ramadan dish.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Lamb tharid, dry.
• 
  Lamb tharid soup.
• 
  Portuguese Açorda Alentejana

See also

• Tajine
• Tanjia
• Harira
• Couscous
• Bastilla
• Tharida

References

1. Convery, Paul (2019). Eat Your Words: The Definitive Dictionary for the Discerning Diner. Mango Media Inc. ISBN 9781642501353.
2. Curtis, Edward, ed. (2010). Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History. Infobase Publishing. p. 127. ISBN 9781438130408.
3. Zaouali, Lilia (September 2009). Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes. University of California Press. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
4. St John, Bill (2022-09-27). "One of the Prophet Mohammed's favorite dishes is Tharid, a delicious stew". UCHealth Today. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
5. Coeli Fitzpatrick Ph.D.; Adam Hani Walker (25 April 2014). Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-61069-178-9.
6. "22 Delicious Malay And Indonesian Dishes The Whole Family Will Love". Women's Weekly. 17 May 2020.
7. Rei, António. "A Açorda. Uma sopa de pão, da Alta Idade Média à atualidade" (PDF). NOVA University Lisbon. Retrieved 23 May 2021.

Notes

• Alan Davidson: The Oxford Companion to Food, 2nd. ed. Oxford 2006, Article Tharid, P. 794