Have you ever wondered how people eat in various different nations? Well if the answer is yes, then let us take a jaunt into gastronomic lifestyles present in Palestine. Often an overlooked nation, despite some tough economic times, Palestinians heap the plates of their guests high. Eating Palestine promises to be a unique experience.
Breakfast
The early morning meal generally begins with pita bread, hummus, white yogurt called labneh, olives and sliced tomato and cucumbers. Palestinians eat their pita bread with different variations and amounts of these items. If you are in a more luxurious home or restaurant there may be fried eggs, grilled hallum cheese, and fuul which is a beans cooked with lemon juice and garlic.
Lunch
One of the most common lunches for people to have is falafel or shawrima. Both are delicious and it is nice that falafel provides a non meat vegetarian option. Specifically falafel in Palestine is wonderful with varied sauces go on top of the fragrant chick pea chick pea falafel. Sharirma for the meat lovers is a classic regional mid day meal and will most certainly see you well through your day on the West Bank. To finish the meal look for some of Palestine’s much loved sweet snacks. There are a lot of bakeries that will satisfy your sweet tooth there wares are usually sold with sweet, black Turkish coffee. A regional sweet is called Kanefeh which is sweet, hot, stretchy cheese backed and douses in hot sugary syrup.
Dinner
It is during dinner that Palestine’s cuisine really shines. Usually the appetizer is much like the foods presented for breakfast with varied dips being placed next to pita bread. After the appetizer a small coffee is severed prior to the main course. Often the man course might be local dishes such as maklouba (rice with lamb, nuts, and vegetables), bamiah (orka stewed slowly with lamb) and musskhan (chickens and onions served on flat bread.) Often grilled meats are also popular such as lamb or marinated chicken. If you are a vegetarian you can look to try mujuddarah which is rice, caramelised onion and lentils. Some of the best restaurants to try these foods are Citadel in Beit Sahour, the al Saraya in Nablus, or the Phildephia in East Jerusalem.
Drinking
Though you may have to hunt around a little it is possible to find a drink in Palestine. The best beer they have on offer is Taybeh, a rich golden lager. Also the monks in Cremisan in Bethlehem have been brewing some outstanding wine for centuries. There wine is found in restaurants and shops around Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
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