Sallat: Hot Stone Barbeque from the Eastern Desert

Sallaat is traditionally prepared on special occasions, and is often connected to distribution on the saints days (kamteet sleelt) as a Saddaqqa/ charity for the camels, or to ask for rain. It is also prepared on some religious holidays, such as the day of ‘ashoura, the tenth day of Moharram, the first months of the Islamic lunar calendar.  

Although the Ababda and Bishareen live a more sedentary life, grazing their animals continues within the perimeters of the national park. While camels can be left to roam freely, goats and sheep are grazed and kept under close watch. Their meat is tender and its high fat content makes it the choice for sallat, a grilled meat dish that uses as a base stones from the surrounding mountains. 

Sallaat is prepared by first placing black basalt stones on hot fire, till it absorbs the heat. The stones collected are round and high enough to keep the meat away from dust. 

After cleaning the stones, parts of the slaughtered animal are deboned and salt is sprinkled on the meat. The fire is made using the dried branches of acacia trees which are widely available in Elba nature preserve. 

To accompany the meat, the men also prepare bread that is baked under the sand. The hot coals in the sand steam the bread, and once it rises and hardens, it is dug out and the sand is dusted off. 

Due to its unique and fragile ecosystems, Elba National Park was established in 1986. Elba park’s hosts a wide range of ecosystems from marches, coastal plains, mangroves and coral reefs to mountain highlands, sand dunes and valleys. It is the largest national reserve in the country stretching over 50 square kilometers north of Shalateen, all the way south to the Egypt-Sudanese border. 

Moving through the wadis between the Nile and the coast,  they would rely on good rains for the husbandry of goats and sheep. Their way of life made them cover vast ranges of territory and upkeep a network of water wells.