Mix Kernels Extra

AL RIFAI ROASTERY SAL

In the Middle East, nuts are an integral part of life. We don’t pass up an opportunity to indulge in them. In embracing this popular tradition, the Rifai family decided to open a small boutique dedicated to this staple of the Oriental culture. The year is 1948, Mazraa street, close to the heart of Beirut. In its early years, Rifai aimed to help the Lebanese rediscover nuts with their range of aromas, thus transforming them into high-end snacks. Today, Rifai has been growing for 70 years and continues to perpetuate its unique expertise and uphold excellence in taste.
Having started with over fifty boutiques and shop in shops in Lebanon, Rifai is now also established in Paris for the very first time, at 109 avenue Victor Hugo. This boutique is a Parisian address dedicated to the art of nuts, whether its roasted, raw, spiced, savory, or sweet. Among our signature products, you will find the all-time winner Mix Kernels, containing roasted pistachios, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamias. You can also enjoy our line of exceptional dried fruits with their unique flavors, Oriental sweets, as well as fresh and made-to-order peanut butter…
In Lebanon, each family gathering, friendly get-together, or impromptu guest arrival, goes hand in hand with pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds. Nuts are also a component of the country’s culture. Not only are they a favorite snack, but they are also part of everyday recipes. Keen on this key tradition, Rifai specializes in the art of roasting them since 1948.
Rifai wishes to elevate nuts and redefine them as high-end delicacies. Although the journey began in a small corner shop in Beirut, Rifai quickly became a reference in the refinement of nuts for Lebanon as a whole. Seventy years later, the House boasts more than fifty boutiques and shop in shops in Lebanon, one London corner shop at the prestigious Harrods, and the first French boutique located at 109 avenue Victor Hugo in the 15th district in Paris.
Ever since its inception, Rifai has been helping the Lebanese rediscover nuts and all their sophistication and nuances in flavor and texture. This ambition was made possible due to the careful sourcing of unparalleled raw materials. Each ingredient is carefully picked in the best plantations of its best country of production. Spanish almonds, Australian macadamias, Vietnamese cashews, etc.
The epitome of their aromas is then diffused through our roasting expertise. The recipe is secretly passed down through generations. It elevates each fruit by perfectly controlling the temperature used for “dry roasting”, for an oil-free and fat-free cooking process. This process also gives the famous Mix Kernels its unmistakable smoked taste. Like all our other products in this line, Mix Kernels are available for delivery in France via our e-shop.
Savory nut mixes are Rifai’s flagship products. As is the custom, they rule over all other appetizers. Lebanese pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, pecan nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, corn,… Rifai roasts them and combines them in authentic Beiruti style and taste. One of the classics, the signature Mix Kernels, is acclaimed by all Levantine epicureans. It is composed of pistachios, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and macadamias.
In addition to these authentic mixes, Rifai offers more original and gourmet creations, such as Almonds Lemon, Cashews Coated Thyme, or Pistachios Chili. Rifai also explores more western flavors, such as cheese macadamias or truffle cashews. These have even become our most popular items. All these recipes preserve the purity of each nut, ensuring that spices do not overpower the taste. Dry roasting then gives the mix a unique smoky hint that goes perfectly with each aroma.
Rifai also offers unflavored and unsalted nuts to encourage healthy snacking. Nuts are rich in fibers and minerals, which makes them filling and a good source of energy. For those who like to indulge, Rifai combines certain nuts in exquisite cereal bars, without any added sugar. These bars contain almonds, peanuts, cashews, cranberries, raisins, grilled walnuts, and apricots.
In the midst of excellence and the wide variety of handmade products, Rifai also takes pride in its unique dried fruits. These little bundles of Oriental flavors are sublimated by Rifai’s know-how, for an authentic taste that remains true to the raw material. They are snacks offering subtle flavors, like tiny treasure troves that can be discovered again and again.
In addition to dried Turkish figs, apricots have their place. They, too, are handpicked in Turkey, before being dried whole until their orange color turns a mixture of yellow and gold, the very sign of slow and delectable ripening.
As for the unexpected beautiful pieces of Thai mango, they follow the same exceptional process and burst with flavor. Jordanian Medjool dates are one of the many varieties of dried fruits and one of the signature products of Rifai. They are as delicate as they are sweet. Their skin, thin and the color of mahogany, takes the form of the thick and amber pulp.
Rifai makes its own fresh butter directly at its stores, using nuts grilled daily. In Paris, Rifai offers made-to-order peanut butter. Peanuts are lightly roasted and then crushed, for a super smooth 100% authentic butter, without added sugar and added fat. Purists can savor this peanut butter by the spoonful, but it is also delicious in a peanut butter and jam sandwich.
It is also used in numerous recipes, as its extraction method is as pure as the one used for raw materials. The Parisian boutique will soon be offering other types of made-to-order fresh types of butter that are popular in the Middle East, such as almond butter, pistachio butter, and hazelnut butter, to name a few.
Rifai is home to sweet and unique creations inspired by Oriental delicacies. Evidently, they all have one thing in common: nuts. Nougats and Turkish delights are often associated with pistachios, while chocolate balls are usually made with almonds and hazelnuts.

As for malban, this traditional Lebanese sweet is made of grape molasses that is subsequently flavored with rose water or orange blossom extract. Malban is garnished with pistachios, acacia gum, or apricot paste. These precious delicacies make for a truly gourmet gift.
Grilled almonds and peanuts are culinary staples in the Middle East. Their flavors are elevated through roasting, and they are then covered with a thin layer of sea salt caramel. Their taste will take you back to all those evenings you spent at the fun fair.
Having opened a counter at the prestigious Harrods in London, as well as a pop-up store at Galeries Lafayette Gourmet in Paris, Rifai is putting down roots in the French capital, with its first-ever boutique-workshop. It is more than a store; it is a Lebanese way of life that takes place at 109 avenue Victor Hugo.
All of the exceptional products that have Rifai a household name for 70 years so far are available at the boutique-workshop, stored warm at 28 degrees, where their aromas wander free. In order to better showcase these products, the boutique pulled all the stops. Its design is sleek and refined. Needless to say, Rifai did not forget its Lebanese roots, as wood and light add a beautiful warmth to the space.

The staff are experts on the virtues and properties of each product, and they go to great lengths to ensure that onlookers discover all aspects of this craft. They can even assist customers in customizing gift boxes, should they wish to offer Rifai treats. Beyond the exceptional variety of nuts, dried fruits and sweets, the boutique also has divine Lebanese coffee that is roasted and grounded on-site.

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