What’s cooking in Ammiq? What are the farmers, producers and cooks protecting as tradition, planting as dreams and harvesting as the best of their land and kitchens?

Tawlet Ammiq is Souk el Tayeb’s second farmers’ kitchen. It is also part of a development project in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon’s most fertile land. Child of the original Souk el Tayeb, its purpose is also to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the region, celebrate food and traditions that unite the communities there and support small-scale farmers and producers, and promote a culture of sustainable agriculture.

Tawlet Ammiq is an “eco-restaurant”, developed, designed and built in harmony with, and respect for, the land, its people and the local traditions. The village of Ammiq is established in the West of the Bekaa, one of the most fertile parts of the Bekaa Valley. It sits on the eastern slopes of Mount Lebanon, a few meters above the valley, and is nearby the wetlands that are the pride of the village. The area is also one of the most important in Lebanon for wine production. The ancient village of Ammiq was destroyed during the 1956 earthquake. It still retains the ruins of the centuries old stone houses abandoned after its inhabitants were forced to move to the new village that is Ammiq today. Most of the inhabitants of the village work in agriculture. Ammiq’s municipality is devoted to instructing environmentally friendly practices in an area that relies so heavily on intensive agriculture.

Tawlet Ammiq plays the role of a medium that enables local producers to showcase their traditions, produces and techniques. Moreover, Ammiq’s cooks are rehabilitating old recipes and customs and bringing them back to life with a modern twist. Similarly to Tawlet Beirut, there is a new cook every day from a different area that instructs clients on the dish du jour, revealing recipes and traditions of the region where he is from, and therefore providing customers with an interactive multisensory experience. Prices are the same in Tawlet Beirut and Tablet Ammiq.