16 June 2009

HAMMANA: Nestled in the heart of Lebanon, the municipality of Hammana has been blessed with summer's most delectable fruit: cherries. To celebrate its harvest, Hammana - in partnership with Souk el Tayeb (a Beirut-based organic food cooperative) - hosted its inaugural Karaz (Arabic for cherry) festival last Sunday.

The name Hammana comes from the Phoenician Sun God, "Hamman." Perhaps owing to the climate particular region, the village of Hammana has long been known for its cherries. Five types can be found: Mukahal, Pharouni, Khamri, Kalb al Tayr, and Italien. The differences are subtle, but the cherry stands that line the Old Souk - where the festival is held - encourage tasting, and after a few tries, one wonders how a Pharouni could be mistaken for a Mukahal.

A village of 7,000 residents, Hammana is home to 10 cherry farms. All are family owned, some going back hundreds of years. The farms range in size from small operations (50 cherry trees), to its larger counterparts (700 or more). Locals recall that before the 1975-1990 Civil War, there used to be more farms than farmers - everyone had a garden featuring a cherry tree or two.

But since then, like many other rural communities, Hammana has lost many of its residents in search of better economic opportunities abroad. "Many left for North America and Australia. But in the summer they come back," says Joseph Khoury, the municipality's local development officer, main organizer of the festival, and temporary press officer for Sunday's event. He also adds that the recession has brought a few families back to  Hammana, with one family arriving two weeks ago.

The Karaz festival used to be a local institution in Hammana, but had come to a halt because of the Civil War. This is the first year that the municipality is playing an active role in reclaiming its former glory as the cherry capital of Lebanon.

In the past, the festival involved a Miss Cherry pageant, and a competition rewarding cars with the best cherry-themed decorations. This year, the festival has replaced the pageant with a children's eco-activity station, and cars with cherry stands. "The idea is to honor the agricultural farmers who make up a large part of the community," says Habib Rizk, the young and effervescent mayor of Hammana.

The nine cherry stands on display were the main event, but Hammana's beans (badrieyh and white fasolya are its specialty) were also vying for attention. Local chefs served generous servings of bean dishes to the hungry and the curious.

Because the festival was organized in conjunction with Souk el Tayeb, many business from Beirut were also present, displaying colorful crescendos of rose jam, fig confit, seasoned labne, sheep fat, and even cherry kebabs. In between such culinary ventures were other nooks to explore: local arts and crafts, photo exhibits of high-mountain orchards, and a booth to sign up for cherry-picking and hiking trips to the nearby farms and slopes.

When asked to comment on what Hammana is known for aside from cherries and beans, Mayor Rizk emphatically adds that the municipality's next project is advancing eco-tourism. "Beans and cherries, and now eco-tourism, are the three pillars of Hammana economy."

Rizk plans to equip the cliffs for climbing, and develop its hiking trails in efforts to  promote the local tourism industry. Andre Bechara - a former Hammana council member and co-owner of Lebanese Adventure, an outdoors activities company specializing in ecotourism, adds that Hammana "is outside the tourist circuit, but [we] would like to put it back on the map." He argues that although Hammana is outside of the Lebanese Mountain Trail, the views from its high plateaus that yield a stunning spectacle of the red-tiled houses against verdant landscape would be any hiker's fantasy.

A British tourist visiting from Beirut marveled that everyone seem to know one another. Another visitor from a nearby village remarked that the festival is allowing for Lebanese from other parts of the country to get a taste of the local product and also to see for themselves what Hammana has to offer.

Not all reviews were cherry-hued, however. A father of two small children noted that the festival seemed disorganized, pointing out the three hour wait for the cherry-picking activity. Hammana projected the event would draw 500-600 participants; informal calculation estimated a 700-800 turnout. 

When asked if the event was a success, Khoury exclaims "everyone is happy!" A total of 45 business participated, with over 500 kilograms of cherries sold, yielding a LL 200 million profit for farmers. A woman from one cherry stand explains that of the 130 kilograms that she brought to sell, only 3 kilograms were left (even these were sold out by the end of the day).

Building on this success, Hammana will hold a comedy festival (Hammana Festival de l'humour) on July 21-26. "You are coming, yes?" asks Joseph. Only with an affirmative answer and a basket filled with cherries does he let me leave Hammana.

Copyright The Daily Star 2009.