Cuisine of the Palestinian territories

Palestinian cuisine consists of foods from or commonly eaten by Palestinians, whether in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, refugee camps in nearby countries, or by the Palestinian diaspora. The cuisine is a diffusion of the cultures of civilizations that settled in the region of Palestine, particularly during and after the Islamic era beginning with the Arab Ummayad conquest, then the eventual Persian-influenced Abbasids and ending with the strong influences of Turkish cuisine, resulting from the coming of the Ottoman Turks. It is similar to other Levantine cuisines, including Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian.

Cooking styles vary, and types of cooking style and ingredients used are generally based on the climate and location of the particular region and on traditions. Rice and variations of ''kibbee'' are common in the Galilee. The West Bank engages primarily in heavier meals involving the use of ''taboon'' bread, rice and meat, and coastal plain inhabitants frequent fish, other seafood, and lentils. The Gaza cuisine is a variation of the Levant cuisine, but is more diverse in seafood and spices. Gaza's inhabitants heavily consume chili peppers too. Meals are usually eaten in the household but dining out has become prominent particularly during parties where light meals like salads, bread dips and skewered meats are served.

The area is also home to many desserts, ranging from those made regularly and those that are commonly reserved for the holidays. Most Palestinian sweets are pastries filled with either sweetened cheeses, dates or various nuts such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios. Beverages could also depend on holidays such as during Ramadan, where carob, tamarind and apricot juices are consumed at sunset. Coffee is consumed throughout the day and liquor is not very prevalent among the population, however, some alcoholic beverages such as '' arak'' or beer are consumed by Christians.

History

The region of the southern Levant has a varied past and as such, its cuisine has contributions from various cultures.

After the area originally inhabited by Jews, Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites was conquered by the Muslims in the 7th century CE, it became part of a Bilad al-Sham under the name Jund Filastin. Therefore, many aspects of Palestinian cuisine are similar to the cuisine of Syria—especially in the Galilee. Modern Syrian-Palestinian dishes have been generally influenced by the rule of three major Islamic groups: the Arabs, the Persian-influenced Arabs ( Iraqis) and the Turks.Revisiting our table…
Nasser, Christiane Dabdoub, ''This week in Palestine'', Turbo Computers & Software Co. Ltd. June 2006, Accessed on 2008-01-08.

The Arabs that conquered Syria and Palestine initially had simple culinary traditions primarily based on the use of rice, lamb, yogurt and dates.ABC of Arabic Cuisine
ArabNet. Accessed on 2007-12-25. This cuisine did not advance for centuries until the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate, that established Baghdad as its capital and integrated elements of Persian cuisine into the existing Arab cuisine. The Jerusalemite geographer al-Muqaddasi said this of Palestine's foods:

From Palestine comes olives, dried figs, raisins, the carob fruit... from Jerusalem comes cheeses and the celebrated raisins of the species known as ''Ainuni'' and ''Duri'', excellent apples... also pine nuts of the kind called 'Kuraish-bite', and their equal is not found elsewhere... from Sughar and Baysan come dates, the treacle called ''Dibs''.

The cuisine of the Ottoman Empire—which incorporated Palestine in 1516—was partially made up of what had become, by then a "rich" Arab cuisine. After the Crimean War, in 1855, many other communities including Bosnians, Greeks, French and Italians began settling in the area especially in urban centers such as Jerusalem, Jaffa and Bethlehem. These communities' cuisines contributed to the character of Palestinian cuisine, especially communities from the Balkans.An Introduction to Palestinian Cuisine: Typical Palestinian Dishes
''This Week in Palestine'', Turbo Computers & Software Co. Ltd. July 2001, Accessed on 2007-01-07.

Until around the 1950s–60s, the main ingredients for rural Palestinian cuisine were olive oil, oregano and bread baked in a simple oven called a '' taboon''. Author G. Robinson Lees, writing in 1905, observed that "The oven is not in the house, it has a building of its own, the joint property of several families whose duty is to keep it always hot."

Regional cuisines

There are three primary culinary regions in historical Palestine - the Galilee, Gaza and the West Bank (which has its own culinary subregions ranging from north to south). In the Galilee, bulgur and meat (beef or lamb) are primary ingredients that are often combined to form several variations of dishes ranging from a family-sized meal to a side dish. However, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the populations have a cooking style of their own. In the West Bank, meals are particularly heavy and contrast from the foods of the northern Levant. Main dishes involve rice, flatbreads and roasted meats. The staple food of the inhabitants in the Gaza Strip is fish due to its location on the Mediterranean seacoast. Their culinary influences are also strongly affected by traditional Egyptian cooking and chili peppers, dill seeds and garlic the most common seasonings. Although the cuisine is diverse, generally Palestinians are not restricted to the foods of their specific region and there is constant culinary diffusion amongst them. Although, because of Gaza's isolation from other Palestinian and Levantine Arab areas, their cooking styles are less known in the region.

Galilee

The Galilee is highly influenced by Lebanese cuisine, due to extensive communication between the two regions before the establishment of Israel. The Galilee specializes in a number of meals based on the combination of bulgur, spices and meat, known as ''kibbee'' by Arabs. ''Kibbee bi-siniyyeh, Kibbee bi-siniyee'' is a combination of minced lamb or beef mixed with pepper, allspice and other spices wrapped in a bulgur crust, then baked. ''Kibee bi-siniyee'' could serve as the main dish during a Palestinian lunch. '' Kibbee neyee'' is a variation of ''kibee'' that is served as raw meat mixed with bulgur and a variety of spices. It is mostly eaten as a side dish and pita or '' markook'' bread is used for scooping the meat. Its leftovers are usually cooked as a different meal the next day, such as fried ''kibbee'' balls.

A specific rice meal, called pilaf, is common in the Galilee and consists of a mixture of rice with chopped lamb and pine nuts flavored with an assortment of spices, accompanied by a lamb leg or whole chickens. In addition, a variety of dishes made up of meatballs and potatoes are eaten during special occasions. Shish kebab or ''lahme mashwi'' and ''shish taouk'' are grilled meats on skewers and are commonly eaten after an array of appetizers known as the '' mezze''.

West Bank

'' Musakhan'' is a common main dish that originated in the Jenin and Tulkarm area in the northern West Bank. It consists of a roasted chicken over a taboon bread that has been topped with pieces of fried sweet onions, sumac, allspice and pine nuts. ''Maqluba'' is an upside-down rice and baked eggplant casserole mixed with cooked cauliflowers, carrots and chicken or lamb. The meal is known throughout the Levant but among Palestinians especially. It dates back to the 13th century.

''Mansaf'' is a traditional meal in the central West Bank and Naqab region in the southern West Bank, having its roots from the Bedouin population of Jordan. It is mostly cooked on occasions such as, during holidays, weddings or a large gathering. ''Mansaf'' is cooked as a lamb leg or large pieces of lamb on top of a taboon bread that has usually been smothered with yellow rice. A type of thick and dried cheesecloth yogurt from goat's milk, called ''jameed'', is poured on top of the lamb and rice to give it its distinct flavor and taste. The dish is also garnished with cooked pine nuts and almonds. The classic form of eating ''mansaf'' is using the right hand as a utensil. For politeness, participants in the feast tear pieces of meat to hand to the person next to them.

In addition to meals, the West Bank's many subregions have their own fruit-based jams. In the Hebron area, the primary crops are grapes. Families living in the area harvest the grapes in the spring and summer to produce a variety of products ranging from raisins, jams and a molasses known as ''dibs''. The Bethlehem area (Beit Jala and Jifna in particular), are known regionally for their apricots and apricot jam as is the Tulkarm area for its olives and olive oil.

Gaza

The cuisine of Gaza Strip is influenced by both neighboring Egypt and its location on the Mediterranean coast. The staple food for the majority of the inhabitants in the area is fish. The Gaza Strip has a major fishing industry and fish is often served either grilled or fried after being stuffed with cilantro, garlic, red peppers and cumin and marinated in a mix of coriander, red peppers, cumin, and chopped lemons.The Foods of Gaza
al-Haddad, Laila, ''This week in Palestine''. Turbo Computers & Software Co. Ltd. June 2006, Accessed on 2008-01-07.The rich flavors of Palestine
Farsakh, Mai M. Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), (Originally published b
This Week in Palestine
) 2006-06-21. Accessed on 2007-12-18 Besides fish, as well as other types of seafood, Gazan cooking styles are affected by Egyptian culinary influences. This generally includes using hot peppers, garlic and chard to flavor many of their meals. ''Zibdieh'', is a clay pot dish that consists of shrimp baked in a stew of olive oil, garlic, hot peppers, and peeled tomatoes. Crabs are cooked and then stuffed with a red hot pepper paste called ''shatta''.

A dish native to the Gaza area is '' Sumaghiyyeh''. The meal consists of water-soaked ground sumac mixed with tahina. The mixture is added to sliced chard and pieces of stewed beef and garbanzo beans and then additionally flavored with dill seeds, garlic and hot peppers. It is often eaten cool with khubz. ''Rummaniyya'' depends on the particular time of the year and it is made up of unripened pomegranate seeds, eggplant, tahina, garlic, hot peppers and lentils. ''Fukharit adas'' is a slow-cooked lentil stew flavored with red pepper flakes, crushed dill seeds, garlic, and cumin, traditionally made during winter and early spring.

''Qidra'' is a rice dish named after the large clay vessel and clay oven that is used baked it. In the oven, the rice is cooked with pieces of meat, often lamb, whole garlic cloves, garbanzo beans, cardamom pods, and various other spices such as, turmeric — which gives it a yellow color — cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cumin. Plain rice cooked in meat or chicken broth and flavored with mild spices including cinnamon is known as ''fatteh ghazzawiyyeh''. The rice is layered over a thin ''markook'' bread known as ''farasheeh'', smothered in ''ghee'' (an Egyptian variation of butter) and topped with stuffed chicken or lamb. The meal is eaten with green peppers and lemon sauce.

Types of meals

Bread meals

:''See also List of Palestinian breads''

Palestinians bake a variety of different kinds of breads: they include ''khubz'', pita and ''markook'' and ''taboon''. ''Khubz'' is an everyday bread and is very similar to pita. It often takes the place of utensils; It is torn into bite size pieces and used to scoop various dips such as hummus or ful. ''Markook'' bread is a paper-thin unleavened bread and when unfolded it is almost transparent. ''Taboon'' receives its name from the ovens used to bake them.

There are several types of sandwich and pizza-like foods eaten by the Palestinians, including ''manaeesh'', '' sfiha'', ''fatayer'' and '' shawarma''. ''Manaeesh'' is a baked flat bread, usually topped with ''za'atar'' and olive oil. '' simboseh'' and ''fatayer'' are baked or sometimes fried doughs stuffed with minced meat and cooked onions or ''snobar'' (pine nuts). ''Fatayer'' is usually folded into triangles and unlike ''simboseh'', it could be filled with spinach or ''za'atar''.

''Sfiha'' is a baked miniature flatbread, topped with lamb and cooked red peppers or tomatoes. Shawarma is mostly served in a long folded roll of ''khubz'' wrapped around shaved lamb or chicken accompanied by pickled turnips and cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and tahina. Shawarma could also be served as lamb slices on a plate with tahina as a side dish. Falafel are fried peppered fava beans or sometimes hummus, parsley and onions fried together into small patties. They're usually served and eaten wrapped in ''khubz''.

Mahashi

''Mahashi'' dishes are composed of stuffed vegetables such as, eggplants, baby pumpkins, potatoes, carrots and marrows as well as a variety of leaf vegetables, primarily grape leaves, cabbage leaves and less often chard. ''Mahashi'' requires delicacy and time — the main reason it is prepared before the day it is cooked and served. Many female family members participate in the rolling and stuffing of the vegetables, relaxing the amount of individual effort required.

'' Waraq al-'ainib'' (grape leaves; known as dolma in Western and Balkan countries), is a ''mahashi'' meal reserved for large gatherings. It is grape leaves normally wrapped around minced meat, white rice and diced tomatoes, however meat is not always used. It is then cooked and served as dozens of rolls on a large plate usually accompanied by boiled potato slices, carrots and lamb pieces. ''Kousa mahshi'' are zucchinis stuffed with the same ingredients as ''waraq al-'ainib'' and usually served alongside it heavy meals. If made with a large number of zucchinis it is known as ''waraq al-'ainib wa kousa''.

Dips and side dishes

:''See also List of Palestinian dips and List of Palestinian cheeses''

Bread dips and side dishes such as, hummus, baba ghanoush, mutabbel and labeneh are frequented during breakfast and dinner. Hummus, the Arabic word for garbanzo beans, is commonly made as ''hummus bi tahini''. Palestinians soak the garbanzo beans with water overnight, then boil them in a pot for at least an hour. The resulting ground beans are mixed with tahini (sesame paste) and sometimes lemon juice. It is often is lathered in olive oil and sometimes sprinkled with paprika, oregano and pine nuts — The latter is especially used in the West Bank. The town of Abu Ghosh west of Jerusalem, is a popular hummus destination for Israelis and tourists. Hummus could also be mixed, boiled or cooked with ful ( fava beans) and results in a completely different dish called ''mukhluta'' that has a distinct flavor and brownish color.Cuisine
Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) 2006-01-16. Accessed on 2007-12-18

Baba ghanoush is an eggplant or aubergine salad or dip with several variants. The root of all the variants is broiled and mashed eggplant and tahini lathered with olive oil, which can then be flavored with either garlic, onions, peppers, ground cumin