"The sourness of the Waraq ‘Inab (rice filled vine leaves) in comes not from bitter lemons but from tomatoes, which also have sweetness to them,” said Hikam Aride as she grated tomatoes into the vine leaf rice filling. Hikam Aride was born in the northern Israeli Druze town of Daliyat al-Karmel more than five decades ago, to a family of nine sisters and three brothers. Aride’s life was full of twists and turns.
She stopped her school studies at the age of 14 and married at a relatively early age a man from another village, moving into his family’s house as is customary in Druze society. In less than six years, Aride gave birth to her four children. In the Druze sector at that time, women seldom acquired an education and hardly ever worked, not to mention having any .
“The relationship didn’t go well,” Aride recalled sadly. “I had to run away from home and launch a legal battle, perhaps the first of its kind in our sector, to bring my children back to my arms.” Aride found herself at the age of 27 with four children back in her parents’ house, again as customary, with no education, no job, and no bank account.
“I didn’t even have any children’s clothes,” she said. “This is a special version of kubbeh in that it’s collective – you don’t shape pieces and distribute them. Everyone just comes, shapes it however they want, and takes their share,” explained Aride as she kneaded the mixture of cooked potatoes, bulgur, sautéed onions, and dried .