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𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚎

Palestinian cuisine is a Levantine cuisine, so there are distinct similarities to Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian cuisines. There’s dishes with influences from the Ummayad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, and Ottoman Turks. The food varies between the three regions. The West Bank features heavier bread, rice, and meat dishes. The coastal plains are seafood, fish, and lentil heavy. Gaza is similar to the coastal plains with more spices and chili peppers. Because Palestine has historically been a bread basket of the region, there’s immense diversity in the produce in this country. Meals tend to be long affairs with a high variety of dishes and ingredients - expect to spend at least an hour at the table. Since the Nakba (meaning “The Catastrophe”) in 1948, Palestinian have brought their food around the world, frequently selling it under the names of “Mediterranean,” “Middle Eastern,” or “Lebanese” to avoid conflict.

Personal note: I am Palestinian and my family is from the coastal plains region (specifically Haifa). My branch of family was permanently displaced during the Nakba while the rest of my family was moved to an Arab settlement in Israel. I love my food and I’m immensely proud of it - so I’ll admit that I’m definitely biased that it’s one of the best cuisines in the world.

𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑

Maqluba

♥️Maqluba

𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜

Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi

Perhaps one of my favorite cookbooks of all time by one of my favorite chefs ever. Falastin is a celebration of the diversity and flavors of Palestine. It demystifies some of the most completed and time consuming dishes the culture boasts, provides interesting modern takes on old classic, helps you outfit the perfect Levantine pantry, and preserves the rich history of the country. While it doesn’t shy away from the Nakba, it also focuses on the positivity and beauty of the culture and cuisine. (Side note: Yotam Ottolenghi wrote the forward to this. Also, I got to meet Sami Tamimi and I can confirm that he is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.)

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

It’s rare to note a cookbook that can be proudly and positively be shared between Palestine and Israel. But Jerusalem does it. Yotam Ottolenghi (an Israeli man who grew up in West Jerusalem) and Sami Tamimi (a Palestinian man who grew up in East Jerusalem) bring together the recipes of the region, using food as a bridge between communities. Instead of foods like shakshuka and hummus being contested, they opt for sharing while being unafraid to note origins of dishes. If there’s ever a cookbook to buy, it’s this. The love and respect Ottolenghi and Tamimi have for each other is obvious throughout the book and will give you hope that you may have not had before.

𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑

𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜

𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌

𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝