GastronomyBethlehem District has a wide variety of food which reflects its temperate and seasonal climate. The main items that form the basis of typical local food are olive oil, olives, thyme, yogurt, goat cheese, mutton, rice, vegetables and fruit. One can also find international cuisine and food services and a few fast food restaurants. Most tourists, however, enjoy eating local Arabic food. Like other Mediterranean countries, Bethlehem has its own special diet, and like other Arab countries it has its traditional gourmet cooking, comprising a wide selection ofmezze, main dishes, desserts and pastries, and a variety of drinks and beverages. The main ingredients of Bethlehem district food are rice, bread, meat, cooking fat, flavor and aroma, fruit, vegetables and dairy products. An extensive menu can be prepared from these ingredients.Mezze is the term used to denote appetizers served before the main meal. Themezze or salad “hors d’oeuvres” is an assortment of fresh vegetables, olives, cheese, boiled eggs, pickles, and sauces. These salads are typical of the Arab region and includefalafel(fried patties made from ground chick peas and spices);tahina (a sesame seed oil):fuul (mashed fava beans mixed with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil);humus bi tahina (ground chick peas, garlic, andtahina mixed with lemon juice and spices);shawerma (beef or turkey meat roasted on a large skewer, sliced and served in pita bread withtahina, salad and pickles); and tabbouleh (salad made from finely chopped parsley, mint, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprinkled with olive oil, lemon juice, and burghol cracked wheat). Other popular mezze foods include culinary delights such assfeeha,sambousek,kubbeh,kebab,kifta,baba ghannouj. These are just few of the manymezze available from the numerous restaurants that line the streets of Bethlehem. Main Dishes consist mainly of meat and/or rice.Mansaf is the most popular dish. It is made from rice, mutton, special yogurt soup, decorated with roasted almonds and pine nuts.Musakhan is consists of chicken served on bread spread with and onions sautéed with olive oil and garnished with sumac and roasted or fried almonds and pine nuts.Kusa mahshi is made from zucchini stuffed with rice and meat and cooked in tomato sauce or yogurt. Maklobeh is made from fried cauliflower or aubergine cooked together with rice and meat. Waraq dawali are vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat and cooked with lemon juice.Mulokhia is a leaf resembling spinach, served with rice and chicken or mutton.Kidra is made from meat and flavored with garlic and saffron, cooked in special clay or copper pots in a traditional oven.Mashaawi (grilled meat) are small pieces of chicken, mutton, pork or beef, grilled on charcoal and served with a variety of salads, Arabic bread and sometimes rice. Following these main dishes, Arabic coffee is served with different kinds of pastries such asknafeh,which is made of two thin layers of shredded wheat with a white cheese filling and sweetened with sugar syrup.Baklawa made from two layers of special pastry dough stuffed with a thick layer of nuts and sugar.Ma’mul, served traditionally in big feasts like Easter, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, is made from semolina dough filled with dates, almonds, walnuts, or pistachios.Qatayef, served almost exclusively during the holy month of Ramadan, is made from pancakes stuffed with walnuts or cheese, sugar and cinnamon, fried or baked and then dipped in sugar syrup. Drinks served with or after meals depend on the occasion, season or type of main dish. Some Arabic drinks are served to complete the traditional touch to the food and help the digestion.Qahwa or Arabic coffee always occupies the first place; finely ground roasted coffee mixed with ground cardamom is boiled in a special metal pot and served with or without sugar. Tea (known locally asshaay) is served with mint or sage leaves. Drinks such asTamar hindi, lemonade and sousare served cold especially on hot days;sahlab,a hot drink made from sweetened milk with salep garnished with walnut, coconut and cinnamon, is a winter treat. |
