Fuel and food costs put Syria’s beloved makdous tradition out of reach

LONDON: Every fall, Syrian households would spend days preparing makdous, a preserve meant to carry the season’s abundance into winter. But after more than a decade of war and economic collapse, the pantry staple has become a delicacy. Families traditionally gather in September and October to boil and salt baby eggplants, stuff them with walnuts, garlic and chili, then submerge them in olive oil and seal them in jars. Many once made tens of kilograms at a time, enough to last for months as part