0:00:14.534,0:00:16.677
It was a bread bakery[br]and it became a Manakish bakery.

0:00:25.663,0:00:29.333
Hello Anthony, how are you?[br]Good? I hope so, happy holidays.

0:00:31.041,0:00:34.553
You are at Chafik Bou Assali Bakery[br]in Qob Elias.

0:00:35.430,0:00:38.013
This is a thyme Manoucheh.[br]We are making it now.

0:00:38.013,0:00:39.389
This is a mixed Manoucheh.

0:00:40.675,0:00:45.911
Mhammara Manoucheh.[br]This bakery has been here since 1958.

0:00:46.523,0:00:47.763
Since the times of my late father.

0:00:49.287,0:00:54.820
First, it was a bread bakery.[br]Then it became a Manakish and pastry bakery in 1965.

0:00:55.201,0:00:58.111
Good morning.[br]Good morning Anthony, welcome to Qob Elias.

0:00:58.111,0:00:59.214
We're happy that you're here.

0:01:00.606,0:01:04.606
We're happy that you're here and we[br]are recording the oldest things present in Qob Elias

0:01:04.606,0:01:07.633
and we allow people to know Qob Elias,[br]and the beauty of the village and the area.

0:01:07.633,0:01:10.510
So we're on.[br]Ahmad, tell me about you.

0:01:10.908,0:01:14.967
Thank God, good.[br]I've been here for almost a year and a month.

0:01:15.365,0:01:19.365
From Canada. I liked to come and see Lebanon, and get my kids to Lebanon.

0:01:19.365,0:01:23.365
Because Lebanon is the most beautiful[br]country in the world. I follow you a lot.

0:01:23.365,0:01:27.365
Because you excited us to come to Lebanon,[br]and i've been here for a year and a month.

0:01:27.365,0:01:31.365
I am working in Lebanon.[br]We have about 6 stops today.

0:01:31.365,0:01:34.635
We will see the oldest bakery in Qob Elias[br]and in the area.

0:01:35.107,0:01:41.883
We will see another bakery for one of[br]the most charismatic people in Qob Elias.

0:01:42.737,0:01:46.188
We will see the largest vegetable market[br]in the area, in the Middle East.

0:01:46.565,0:01:53.175
We will see Domaine de Chouchene because it is very amazing, Anthony, you're going to love it.

0:02:07.568,0:02:10.923
We will start with the thyme Manoucheh.[br]Soft soft soft.

0:02:11.431,0:02:12.481
Large and filling.

0:02:16.123,0:02:18.603
I loved it a lot.[br]Maximum soft.

0:02:19.006,0:02:21.696
Filling, generous,[br]the thyme is good.

0:02:23.498,0:02:25.748
It is not chewy.[br]Very fluffy.

0:02:26.773,0:02:28.493
The dough is properly soaked[br]with oil.

0:02:31.434,0:02:32.034
Great start.

0:02:33.726,0:02:34.626
Then they have this.

0:02:35.353,0:02:36.713
What is this! About a kilogram.

0:02:37.237,0:02:38.207
3 kinds of cheese.

0:02:39.366,0:02:39.962
A mix.

0:02:42.795,0:02:43.385
Wow.

0:02:45.067,0:02:46.683
That is something.

0:02:48.204,0:02:49.274
Super something.

0:02:51.676,0:02:52.376
All these.

0:02:54.915,0:02:56.530
Enjoy enjoy.

0:03:02.158,0:03:04.158
This is a big thing.

0:03:31.429,0:03:34.429
Abou Alaa Bakery.[br]You're close to my heart, I respect you.

0:03:34.429,0:03:35.739
All kinds of Manakish.

0:03:36.618,0:03:38.288
Welcome.[br]You're close to my heart.

0:03:39.309,0:03:43.309
Yes, I've been in this business for 50 years.[br]Specifically in this place, I've been for 17 years.

0:03:47.935,0:03:51.935
This is the thyme. The bakery is related to thyme,[br]they initially say, a thyme bakery.

0:03:52.882,0:03:57.722
Then, the other kinds come. But originally,[br]they say that this bakery is a thyme bakery.

0:06:24.208,0:06:25.865
You're welcome a hundred times.

0:06:27.913,0:06:29.378
One for me and one for you.

0:06:29.715,0:06:32.852
The Manoucheh is wrapped like[br]a sandwich, like a school sandwich.

0:06:38.310,0:06:39.337
You have to try it.

0:06:41.308,0:06:42.178
Super soft.

0:06:48.768,0:06:51.161
Super smooth.[br]Super simple.

0:06:52.231,0:06:54.871
Light and clean, delicious,[br]uncomplicated.

0:06:56.437,0:06:57.347
Comforting.

0:07:01.720,0:07:02.460
Unbelievable.

0:07:08.251,0:07:09.231
I memorized the location.

0:07:14.746,0:07:16.679
For sure I'm coming back.[br]Let me go inside to tell him thank you and bravo.

0:07:48.218,0:07:54.172
We are at Qob Elias Central Vegetable Market.[br]Now, I work as a guard in this market.

0:07:54.351,0:07:58.351
I am responsable for the market and now[br]I will take you to

0:07:58.940,0:08:01.659
Sheikh Wajih Al Amoury,[br]he will tell you more about the topic.

0:08:09.789,0:08:11.981
This vegetable market was established[br]in 1997.

0:08:13.604,0:08:17.214
A group of traders, in agreement[br]with the municipality, made this market

0:08:17.214,0:08:22.152
with effort and energy and it is from[br]the best Lebanese markets

0:08:22.378,0:08:24.328
and from the most organized Lebanese markets.

0:08:25.091,0:08:30.521
The market is made up of 121 garages[br]or doors,

0:08:31.186,0:08:33.246
and about 60 corporations are there.

0:08:35.066,0:08:40.408
This market, almost all production[br]of Al Bekaa,

0:08:41.268,0:08:42.428
comes to this market.

0:08:43.429,0:08:47.999
The market during summer,[br]all Lebanese markets come take from this market.

0:08:49.644,0:08:53.978
Even for traveling and exporting,[br]this market gives the products.

0:08:53.978,0:08:55.382
Traders sell everything in this market.

0:08:55.982,0:08:56.542
It is organized.

0:08:57.251,0:09:00.065
There is a committee or union for this[br]market.

0:09:00.065,0:09:04.585
There is another market in Ferzol. It is parallel to[br]Al Bekaa market, but our market is bigger.

0:09:05.696,0:09:07.833
It can fit more amount of products.

0:09:35.005,0:09:37.857
Just come and fill your sight with colors.

0:09:38.438,0:09:40.348
From a place to a place to a place.

0:09:40.678,0:09:43.143
All kinds of vegetables.[br]Very good condition and very clean.

0:09:43.143,0:09:46.651
Some are in plastic boxes,[br]or carton boxes, or bags.

0:09:47.115,0:09:51.765
You can find all what you need[br]in very good prices.

0:09:52.182,0:09:56.182
As you can see, the organization,[br]cleanliness, calmness, there is no shouting.

0:09:56.597,0:09:57.447
I was not expecting that.

0:09:58.289,0:09:58.739
Very nice.

0:09:59.179,0:10:01.633
It is the biggest in the Middle East,[br]and I have not came to here before.

0:10:02.526,0:10:02.936
Oops.

0:10:16.214,0:10:18.707
Very very professional.[br]Very professional.

0:10:18.707,0:10:21.319
Impressive. And I am still walking and[br]I do not feel like stopping.

0:10:21.746,0:10:25.746
From a place to a place to a place,[br]there is not a tiny bit of trash on the floor.

0:10:26.263,0:10:30.263
Our prices here are very good,[br]package prices. Our products are very clean,

0:10:30.263,0:10:33.668
products with clean water,[br]most of it is clean water, artesian.

0:11:17.110,0:11:18.340
Qob Elias products.

0:12:14.301,0:12:17.266
Look, there is a very old[br]Sun Temple.

0:12:17.266,0:12:20.117
Of course, we will go there later on[br]and talk about it.

0:12:20.117,0:12:21.417
If you want to capture it from here,[br]the picture would look very nice.

0:12:23.103,0:12:26.307
How many of you did know that there is[br]a Sun Temple in Qob Elias?

0:12:26.562,0:12:27.492
We pass through this road

0:12:28.390,0:12:32.751
always, we all pass through this road.[br]We all go all the way

0:12:33.000,0:12:37.000
to a beautiful area called Ammiq.[br]Did we ever look to the right at this mountain?

0:12:37.604,0:12:39.844
A temple, they say that it has been[br]here for more than 6,000 years.

0:12:40.895,0:12:43.275
Wow, we will go and see it together[br]later on.

0:12:45.007,0:12:48.493
So next, after the vegetables market, I will take you to my uncle, who is the eldest mayor in the village.

0:12:48.493,0:12:49.993
Mahyidinne Toufic Hatoum.

0:12:52.512,0:12:55.462
I have been a mayor since 1985.

0:12:56.898,0:12:57.258
Yes.

0:12:58.199,0:13:00.859
And in the village, there are almost

0:13:01.669,0:13:04.079
70,000 person.

0:13:04.825,0:13:09.435
Its history is very old.[br]Its history, there's Haidar remains, as they call it.

0:13:10.115,0:13:12.425
This dates back to the Romans era.

0:13:13.081,0:13:14.221
And maybe the Phoenicians.

0:13:14.762,0:13:18.453
It was more beautiful than that[br]and nicer than that.

0:13:19.095,0:13:23.409
When the sun rises in the morning, it hits,[br]we had the schools place,

0:13:23.975,0:13:26.847
there was all yards,[br]decorated as they call it.

0:13:27.517,0:13:30.073
There were no buildings or schools[br]or anything,

0:13:30.584,0:13:32.860
there was the Sun Temple, as they call it.

0:13:33.603,0:13:38.509
Tal El Akhdar boarders it from here.[br]the south, Tal El Akhdar, and Ammiq.

0:13:39.456,0:13:41.366
Tal El Akhdar belongs to Qob Elias.

0:13:42.138,0:13:43.808
But Ammiq belongs to west Bekaa.

0:13:44.553,0:13:47.413
From the east, El Marj village.

0:13:48.376,0:13:53.548
And from the south, I mean the north,[br]Chtoura.

0:13:56.231,0:14:01.331
And from the west, the mountain[br]and then Ain Dara.

0:14:15.899,0:14:18.029
Lots of history.[br]Lots to cover.

0:14:18.737,0:14:20.667
Of course, Qob Elias is rich with history,[br]as you can see.

0:14:21.280,0:14:23.297
And almost all civilizations passed[br]through Qob Elias.

0:14:24.253,0:14:27.569
Of course, because it exists on both[br]sides of the river.

0:14:27.569,0:14:29.865
So a side was Mrayjet[br]and a side was Qob Elias.

0:14:30.600,0:14:32.580
Now, all of it is Qob Elias.

0:14:44.328,0:14:46.735
We reached Ras El Ain area which[br]very famous here.

0:14:46.930,0:14:51.748
Where water starts. We are seeing around us[br]iron pipes left and right.

0:14:52.023,0:14:54.853
Unfortunately, they're damaged.[br]Now we were talking about this topic,

0:14:54.853,0:14:59.475
that there was a water station,[br]a power station but it stopped from a long time ago.

0:14:59.679,0:15:02.083
So the pipes rusted and started to break.

0:15:02.665,0:15:07.500
Nice walk, I can tell you that the walk is very nice.[br]We can go forwards for more than 20 minutes and see

0:15:07.500,0:15:12.200
where the river starts. But they are waiting for us in the village, and I started to feel hungry.

0:15:35.078,0:15:40.591
Good morning. Good morning.[br]How are you? How are you? Welcome. Good.

0:15:40.591,0:15:43.731
Hello. Hello. How are you?[br]God bless you.

0:15:45.159,0:15:47.473
The table and the smell in your house,[br]it's crazy.

0:15:47.848,0:15:53.905
Hiam Alaaeddine from Qob Elias.[br]I've been working for 10 years with Mouneh and

0:15:53.905,0:15:56.688
Arabic food as well as foreign food.

0:15:57.551,0:16:05.114
Stuffed vine leaves, Coxinha, Empanada,[br]Empanada Con Pino, chicken croquettes,

0:16:06.008,0:16:11.238
Tabouli, different kinds of pumpkin Kebbeh with all[br]stuffing, potato Kebbeh,

0:16:12.019,0:16:16.649
everything you need is found here.[br]This is Tabouli with village parsley

0:16:16.649,0:16:18.345
also with olive oil.

0:16:20.770,0:16:22.900
Lemon is also from the mountains.

0:16:29.060,0:16:29.900
Tell us about catering.

0:16:31.795,0:16:35.468
I work from home.[br]I've been for almost 8 years.

0:16:37.549,0:16:40.869
I developed my work,[br]I work with NGOs, I participate.

0:16:42.224,0:16:47.164
Now I am still developing.[br]I am learning and doing everything new.

0:16:48.603,0:16:53.486
Stuffed vine leaves with oil.[br]As they say, the leaves are from village.

0:16:53.686,0:16:57.686
I make everything, I get them during season[br]and cut them, sort and organize them,

0:16:57.686,0:17:01.526
and I press them and keep them ready[br]for when there is an order.

0:17:11.030,0:17:11.490
Wow.

0:17:12.116,0:17:14.787
No, the food is very nice.

0:17:17.576,0:17:18.356
Finally,

0:17:23.741,0:17:28.651
as it should be. Passion of home,[br]taste of home, the perfect flavors.

0:17:29.282,0:17:32.338
The Tabouli has perfect lemon,[br]it pinches a bit.

0:17:33.458,0:17:35.953
The oil is exact.[br]Fresh ingredients.

0:17:39.376,0:17:39.976
Perfect.

0:17:44.104,0:17:44.624
Perfect.

0:17:46.490,0:17:47.830
Your food is amazing.

0:17:48.612,0:17:52.001
There are still these?[br]They became red, we forgot them.

0:17:52.001,0:17:54.681
Let me exchange them.[br]Amazing amazing amazing,

0:17:54.927,0:17:59.877
Enjoy enjoy, welcome.[br]I hope the better and nicer will happen.

0:18:00.317,0:18:00.875
And the more delicious.

0:18:01.091,0:18:02.911
Wow. Impressive.

0:18:03.284,0:18:06.834
I thought that I am done, and I said[br]no, I want to have some bites without eating a lot.

0:18:07.207,0:18:10.657
But the potato Kebbeh stuffed with meat.[br]You're having it with Labneh, yes?

0:18:11.091,0:18:11.841
Impressive.

0:18:12.427,0:18:18.447
The crisp on the outside, flakiness, craziness.[br]It's super juicy on the inside and extremely flavorful.

0:18:19.396,0:18:22.605
Put everything aside, there is an obvious passion.

0:19:26.202,0:19:29.374
Welcome. We're waiting for you[br]wherever you are, in Lebanon and the world.

0:19:29.374,0:19:30.224
Come visit us.

0:19:50.381,0:19:52.343
Welcome guys. God bless you.

0:19:57.019,0:19:58.429
We've been here since 1982.

0:20:00.639,0:20:01.879
We work with cheeses and Labneh.

0:20:03.731,0:20:07.881
Labneh, cheese, Halloum, double cream,[br]Akkawi, Baladi.

0:20:08.962,0:20:09.912
It is all natural milk.

0:20:10.759,0:20:14.469
There is a proper boiler.[br]It becomes frothy in 30 mins.

0:20:16.025,0:20:18.647
We take it for making yogurt or cheese.

0:20:19.456,0:20:21.246
They are on the tables.

0:20:22.032,0:20:23.182
Cheese on the tables.

0:20:24.125,0:20:27.075
We press it by the press.[br]Here, this cheese is pressed.

0:20:29.044,0:20:30.334
This is pressed by the press.

0:20:31.889,0:20:34.872
We put a specific amount of salt and we[br]pack it in boxes and cans,

0:20:35.782,0:20:38.122
in salty water. Everything is 100% naturally[br]made on the old way.

0:20:38.122,0:20:43.713
There isn't any preservatives or powder or starch[br]or any artificial materials.

0:20:44.134,0:20:47.094
As the milk comes, we work with it, and we[br]put it,

0:20:47.094,0:20:50.248
we don't soak it, and cheese is put in[br]cans, as it is.

0:21:14.868,0:21:19.616
Good morning. Good morning, welcome.[br]Welcome welcome. Chateau Heritage.

0:21:20.317,0:21:24.787
About Qob Elias, I have to tell you,[br]I am the ex mayor.

0:21:25.178,0:21:28.838
I used to say, it's the capital of the[br]world and the center of the universe.

0:21:29.465,0:21:34.827
So now, Chateau Heritage is the capital of the[br]world and the center of the universe. Welcome.

0:21:35.231,0:21:36.771
It's an honor to have you.

0:21:37.238,0:21:41.238
Thank you. First, congratulations[br]for the new award.

0:21:41.238,0:21:44.575
You're a pride to this nation.

0:21:45.207,0:21:46.507
Thank you. Welcome. Thank you.

0:21:47.326,0:21:51.876
The square is very nice, as if it is Hacienda.[br]As if it is a place for horses,

0:21:51.876,0:21:55.876
as if we traveled to Portugal or Spain,[br]and we are in the center of Lebanon.

0:21:56.025,0:21:57.605
You enter from a door to another.

0:21:58.033,0:22:02.433
Originally, from the entrance, the[br]atmosphere and the vibes are amazing,

0:22:03.602,0:22:04.322
Chateau Heritage

0:22:05.546,0:22:09.638
Let's tour and see what do they have.[br]It's an old school built in 1927.

0:22:10.299,0:22:14.235
This is actually the courtyard.[br]The classes were here. They come to the courtyard.

0:22:15.043,0:22:19.396
So when we bought it, it was[br]utterly destroyed by the war.

0:22:19.899,0:22:23.339
It passed in phases where it was a[br]chicken and cow farm at one time,

0:22:23.636,0:22:28.616
a carton factory at another time,[br]but when we bought it, it was completely damaged.

0:22:28.616,0:22:32.436
It had many bullets and bombs.

0:22:33.074,0:22:39.634
So we refurbished and adapted it to[br]become a winery.

0:22:40.161,0:22:45.071
We are the sons of Elias Touma.[br]One of the founders of Arak Touma.

0:22:45.887,0:22:51.757
So we are fourth generation wine makers.[br]I went to the states and studied

0:22:51.757,0:22:53.064
chemical engineer.

0:22:53.738,0:22:57.211
The masters in indology,[br]PhD in food and beverage science.

0:22:57.211,0:23:01.581
So my friends call me Dr. D,[br]Dr. Dargham. So it's Dr. D.

0:23:03.482,0:23:04.472
What else do we tell you?

0:23:04.942,0:23:08.264
When I started here it was a very[br]primitive operation.

0:23:09.258,0:23:13.966
Now, the vats that you are seeing[br]are imported vats.

0:23:14.608,0:23:17.572
It's for show and pictures.[br]You know, like a portrait.

0:23:17.572,0:23:20.602
But in the rest of the winery[br]there are vats that I've done myself.

0:23:20.602,0:23:23.009
I've welded myself, I've done myself.

0:23:24.703,0:23:27.814
They are called, you know,[br]colt of the business, they do everything.

0:23:28.498,0:23:33.588
So Chateau Heritage was founded in 1997.[br]That's when I came back from the states.

0:23:33.818,0:23:35.448
I started working in 1997.

0:23:35.867,0:23:39.597
2 years prior, we made wine.

0:23:40.192,0:23:42.462
88 and 91, now we will show you what are they.

0:23:43.357,0:23:48.397
And it is a family business.[br]My siblings and I,

0:23:48.397,0:23:49.845
it is a family operation.

0:23:50.247,0:23:53.717
May my father rest in peace,[br]he was a big part of the business,

0:23:53.717,0:23:55.097
he died 4-5 years ago.

0:23:58.105,0:24:02.285
The patron saint, all wineries of the world[br]have a patron saint.

0:24:03.510,0:24:07.510
Because sometimes you do the science[br]to the maximum, a time comes,

0:24:07.598,0:24:11.598
things mess up. You have to refer to a[br]higher power, so

0:24:11.598,0:24:17.736
we light candles and such things. Patron saint of out winery is St. Elias, in honor of our father.

0:25:00.033,0:25:05.554
This is 1 of 2 sellers of wine.[br]Now we'll go up there to the second.

0:25:06.811,0:25:08.937
This is where wine comes to be aged.

0:25:10.520,0:25:13.330
I'm not a humongous fan of oak.

0:25:14.183,0:25:20.383
Because it covers, it masks the smells[br]and fruits of the wine.

0:25:20.689,0:25:27.877
But nonetheless, some wines need oak, and we,[br]personally I am American educated,

0:25:28.712,0:25:34.163
but to be honest, I tried French oak,[br]what I found to be the best for Lebanese

0:25:36.401,0:25:38.447
tannins and weather and things

0:25:39.173,0:25:42.139
is American oak.[br]Because when I started using that,

0:25:43.524,0:25:48.140
ever since, I'm winning best Lebanese wine[br]in the world consecutively every year.

0:25:48.140,0:25:49.545
Both in Bordeaux and elsewhere.

0:25:50.101,0:25:54.421
And to commemorate you winning the award,[br]now up there. Thank you so much.

0:25:55.606,0:25:58.831
We took it from here, it has mold which is okay.

0:25:58.831,0:26:05.707
This is the 2003 which has won about[br]6 golden awards all over the world

0:26:06.185,0:26:08.100
including best Lebanese wine.

0:26:08.564,0:26:13.840
You don't drink these being careless.[br]After the car trip,

0:26:14.378,0:26:18.718
you have to leave it for about 10 days[br]because it's going to shake.

0:26:19.293,0:26:24.316
And you open the other one[br]on a very nice occasion.

0:26:25.141,0:26:29.141
But in both cases, you should[br]decant them.

0:26:29.490,0:26:34.475
Please, because I am not teaching you,[br]but it's for the info.

0:26:35.021,0:26:38.487
Second, for it to have oxygen and stretch.

0:26:38.954,0:26:41.444
This has been stuck in the bottle for[br]30 years.

0:26:41.806,0:26:43.026
So it needs stretching.

0:26:43.358,0:26:44.948
Give it some oxygen to stretch.

0:26:45.310,0:26:49.310
How great.