Mazmiz

Great new Arabic word learned this week... Onomatopeic to a certain degree, it trips off the tongue easily once learned....

Ladies & gentlemen, I present "Mazmiz"...

As NK defines the word:

"Ah it has so many meanings, but it comes from the word mazza or mezza, which is the Arabic version of tapas - you know, the Arabic food you slowly take in and digest while having sheesha; the appetizers of humous, mutabbal, salads etc. The idea is to slowly enjoy and savour each bite and every taste, taking sheesha*, tea and 'arak** breaks in between, hence the verb, mazmiz. So mazmiz is to spend time enjoying something."

*sheesha is the water pipe of hookah. A popular Arab past time which is shared also in Turkey where it is known as the Nargile. The tobacco is mostly fruit flavoured and mild, although the hard core aficionados smoke a very dark black tobacco, somewhat similar to tarmac...

**Arak - the Arab equivalent of Ouzo from Greece or Rake from Turkey. An aniseed based spirit - usually very strong- and taken with fish or mezza as an accompaniment. Some drink it straight, some with water and some with ice. Very popular in the Levant countries esp. Lebanon and Jordan.

Anyway, Mazmiz is a wonderful word which reflects the importance of things like food and drink on the one hand and taking one's time to slowly enjoy them on the other. Of course the word becomes metaphorical as per the definition above and applies to all sorts of things that can be savoured and enjoyed.

Having mazmiz'd the word mazmiz I am now off to mazmiz Venice which I haven't visited for more than 15 years and go see the Biennale...more anon...