Bowl of Ash Reshteh Kashk Jounieh Cafe

Stark fluorescent light washes over a centered ceramic bowl filled with ash reshteh noodles and a thick layer of creamy kashk. The bowl rests on a cool, veined marble table in a Jounieh cafe during the still hours before dawn. Condensation beads heavily along the rim of a nearby glass, signaling the humid monsoon air. The noodles appear dark and tangled, against the pale, frothy kashk topping. Bright overhead bulbs reflect sharply off the wet marble surface and the glossy rim of the bowl. No steam rises, yet the moisture on the glass suggests a cool interior against a warmer outside. one drop of water rests on the condensation on the glass edge.