From father to son, get to know the traditional method of producing grape molasses

Record ID: 1633833

  • Title: From father to son, get to know the traditional method of producing grape molasses
  • Date: 26th August 2021
  • Summary: HEBRON, WEST BANK (AUGUST 20, 2021) (REUTERS) GRAPE JUICE BOILING IN POT VARIOUS OF MAN SIEVING FOAM OFF THE TOP OF BOILING POT MAN FEEDING THE FIRE WITH WOOD POTS SET ON A FIRE WOODEN FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GRAPE PRODUCTS PRODUCER, MOHAMMAD ARAFEH, SAYING: "The main thing about molasses is that no machine can make it properly, it does not get the natural taste, neither stainless steel nor aluminum. It was scientifically proven that only copper works, copper has an advantage, first of all it does not oxidize and the second thing is that it remains hot." MAN LEVELING 'MALBAN', FRUIT LEATHER, ON LAYERS OF PLASTIC MALBAN BEING POURED ON PLASTIC SHEETS MAN LEVELING MALBAN ON PLASTIC SHEETS WITH SPATULA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GRAPE PRODUCTS PRODUCER, MOHAMMAD ARAFEH, SAYING: "I taught it to my kids, and my kids, thank God, are engineers, they graduated as engineers, they have degrees, but as you can see from the economic situation, they are unemployed." MAN LEVELING MALBAN ON LAYERS OF PLASTIC WITH SPATULA HEBRON, WEST BANK (AUGUST 20, 2021) (REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE FOOTAGE OF ROOFTOP USED FOR SUN DRYING MALBAN STRIPS / MAN AIRING MALBAN STRIP HEBRON, WEST BANK (AUGUST 20, 2021) (REUTERS) MAN POURING GRAPES IN JUICER GRAPE JUICE DRIPPING FROM JUICER VARIOUS OF GRAPES BEING SQUEEZED IN JUICER MAN STEPPING ON BURLAP BAG OF GRAPES GRAPE JUICE BEING POURED AND SIEVED VARIOUS OF TAP POURING JUICE IN POT HALHUL, WEST BANK (AUGUST 24, 2021) (REUTERS) VINE GROVES AND GRAPE BUNCHES VARIOUS OF FARMER PICKING GRAPE BUNCHES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GRAPE FARMER, MOHAMMAD JALLAK, SAYING: "Very ripe (grapes) are used for molasses, malban, raisins and grape sweets, and the good quality (grapes) are sold to super markets and the market in general and are sent to other cities like Ramallah and Jenin, the merchants take it and sell it." JALLAK PICKING GRAPE BUNCHES CHILDREN CARRYING BOXES OF PICKED GRAPE BUNCHES HALHUL, WEST BANK (AUGUST 24, 2021) (REUTERS) (MUTE) DRONE FOOTAGE OF GRAPE VINE GROVES WHILE JALLAK AND FAMILY PICK GRAPES
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2021 10:47
  • Keywords: Fruit Leather Grapes Hebron Malban Palestinians Traditional
  • Location: HEBRON AND HALHUL, WEST BANK
  • City: HEBRON AND HALHUL, WEST BANK
  • Country: Palestinian Occupied Territory
  • Topics: Environment,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ERX3785
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In large copper pots and over a fire of pine wood, Mohammand Arafeh and his sons, boil and stir grape juice for more than 12 hours continuously to produce pure molasses, in a traditional method that descends from their ancestors and is passed on from father to son.
    While newer and faster methods have been adopted by many manufacturers for mass production, 69-year-old Arafeh, is adamant that 'no machine can make it properly' and still uses traditional copper pots over pine wood to give it a special aroma and taste.
    "Only copper works, copper has an advantage, first of all it does not oxidize and the second thing is that it remains hot," he said.
    Arafeh and his children, who are engineers but currently work with him in the family business, also produce 'malban', a fruit leather made from grape juice.
    Using a similar technique to that of producing molasses they create a paste that is then cooled, poured on plastic sheets, levelled and left to naturally dry under the sun.
    Their business based on an ancient method of production has kept their family afloat at a time of economic hardship.
    (Production: Yosri al-Jammal, Nuha Sharaf)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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