 | |
| Course | Meal |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Palestine |
| Region or state | Levant |
| Associatedcuisine | Palestinian,Levantine |
| Main ingredients | Chicken, sumac, onion,taboon bread, olive oil |
Musakhan (Arabic:مسخّن,lit. 'something that is [re]heated'),[1] also known asmuhammar (Arabic:محمّر,lit. 'reddish'), is aPalestinian dish composed ofroasted chicken baked withonions,sumac,allspice,saffron, and friedpine nuts served overtaboon bread. Originating in theTulkarm andJenin area,[2] musakhan is often considered thenational dish ofPalestine. The dish is particularly popular amongPalestinians andJordanians.[3] It is also eaten byDruze in theGalilee, especially aroundIksal andSandala, and in theTriangle.[4][5] The dish can be found inSyria,Lebanon andJordan as well.[3] The dish owes its name to the practice of Palestinian farmers reheating old taboon bread and make it taste better.[6]Musakhan is traditionally cooked during the olive harvest season.[7][8]
The exact origin of the dish is unclear, references to it are found inPalestinian folk songs from the 19th-century.[9]
Some sources state that the dish was created by mistake, where in communal ovens that were dug into the ground, ingredients like chicken and bread were frequently placed next to one another to cook simultaneously, and eventually came to be placed on top of one another.[10]
Different versions of the dish have existed for 150 years.[10]
Musakhan is simple to make and the ingredients needed are easily obtainable, which may account for the dish's popularity. Many of the ingredients used—olive oil, sumac and pine nuts—are staples of Palestinian cuisine. The dish is typically eaten with one's hands. It is usually presented with the chicken on top of the bread, and could be served with soup.[7][9]
Some contemporary versions will shape the dish into rolls rather than the traditional layered setup, with thinsaj bread instead of the much thicker taboon bread,[11][9][8] other contemporary versions make it into afatteh.[12][13]
On April 20, 2010, the largest ever dish of musakhan was prepared inRamallah and was entered into theGuinness Book of World Records.[14] Palestinian Prime MinisterSalam Fayad described it as a great achievement and honor for the Palestinian people: "This great achievement completely depended on Palestinian products, mainly olive oil. It also has a cultural dimension and a Palestinian message to the world that they want their legitimate rights."[15] The total diameter of the musakhan loaf was 4 meters, with a total weight of 1,350 kg. Forty Palestinian cooks made use of 250 kg offlour, 170 kg of olive oil, 500 kg of onions and 70 kg ofalmonds.[16]
