WHERE THE HEART IS

SA's Sophia Lindop pays tribute to her Lebanese heritage in her new cookbook Going Home, a collection of simple, evocative recipes that are comforting and real. We chose a few and travelled back home with her

- Sophia Lindop

AS A CHILD, I ALWAYS YEARNED TO TRAVEL. And as soon as I became an adult, that yearning became an obsession. Whenever my family grew fatigued by my constant need for new adventures, I was told, ‘You are just like your great-grandfather! You have wanderlust!’ – as if it were something to be ashamed of. To me, it was ‘wonderlust’ – an irresistible excitement for unexplored places and experiences, and a need to feel and see the wonders of the world. That fire continues to burn.

As my husband, Paddy, and I explored more and more of Lebanon after my first visit in 2018, I became increasingly enchanted by this beguiling country. It truly had cast a spell on us and we counted the days between our visits. I am constantly amazed that, despite its small size, there is so much unspoiled and majestic natural beauty – mountains and forests, oceans and beaches, waterfalls and rivers, caves and ski slopes.

Although mountain villages such as Hasroun and Bsharre are less than 50 km from the sea, the style of cuisine differs completely between mountain and Med. Along the 225 km-long coastline, fresh fish and seafood represent a lighter style of cuisine – temperatures along the beaches never drop as low as they do in the mountains. It is here that I fell in love with bizri, deep-fried whitebait, and all the other small fish that one finds in the restaurants, prepared fresh and to order.