Originally, this dish name was lost in translation over a few generations since my great grandparents on my mother’s side had strong Arabic accents and a different dialect than their children did. My family called it “yebidah”. However, after doing some research I discovered that the true name that was lost was “Yabrak”.
The recipe is made of ground lamb, rice, lots of lemon, spices such as allspice and cumin, and my family’s secret ingredient. When rolling the leaves, it is done similar to wrapping a burrito except the idea is to not roll anything too tight or the rolls will come out very dense and not absorb as much flavor. After they are rolled, we place chicken wings in the bottom of a very large pot and place the rolls on top. After this we place a small ceramic plate on top of them before adding the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon slices, and water to keep them from unraveling during cooking.
My great grandfather was one of the Ellis Island Immigrants who came from Syria by himself and made it to Boston where he worked to make enough money to bring his family over too. He and his wife made it a point to force their children to assimilate to life in the US which is why my grandfather does not know Arabic and had very limited communication with his parents who did not learn English. Fear of being outcast was a huge factor in this. The only thing that was kept over time was the cuisine.

– Emma Mudarri-Spencer

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more