Large turnout at the traditional mouneh in Arkoub, Hasbaya

The housewives in the areas of Arkoub, Hasbaya and Marjeyoun are busy preparing a whole collection of mouneh items, like eggplant, cucumber and Armenian cucumber pickles, as well as fig, apricot, apple, quince and pomegranate jams, raisons, zaatar, goat labneh and village cheese, olives and olive oil, in addition to a collection of homemade soaps and herb blends. To shed light on the story, Al Mustaqbal daily interviewed a number of women engaged in this annual activity. Um Shady Kadri, from Kfarshouba, boasted that she is “selling much of her healthy, whole food and hygiene compliant products to Lebanese expatriates who visit their hometown each summer”. Um Bilal Farouk also from Kfarshouba, explained that summer is the season for stocking the winter mouneh which “saves both money and health” for her family members as compared to the hazardous fast food lifestyle. In this respect, the newspaper talked to Mirhi Kassem from the village of Kfar Hamam, Hasbaya, who owns a shop displaying all kinds of rural delicacies made in his hometown and the neighboring Kfarshouba. “Selling traditional mouneh has become my source of livelihood,” he said, especially after the upsurge in demand on this industry mainly during the summer months. (Al Mustaqbal, October 19, 2015)