It’s olive picking season again and that means that many people take to the fields in a rush to pick their olives in the narrow window after the first rains but before the cold weather sets in. Olive picking is a deep-rooted part of Palestinian society that has been part of the annual calendar for … Continue reading Olive Highs and Lows
There is a reason why hot places are not normally chocolate places. Since we arrived in Jerusalem, it has been hard to find very good chocolates and very good cakes. The type that you want to recommend to everyone and hope that you’ll receive on your own birthday. That was until we discovered Tamer the … Continue reading Chocolate from Beit Hanina
I went to Haifa hoping that it would be all about the food, and it was, but there was more to be found in this relaxed and artsy city, which left me wondering why I hadn’t visited sooner. After Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Haifa is Israel’s third largest city. Its large port has given it … Continue reading Haifa
A regular customer enjoying her mutabaq Most families have secret recipes but very few can claim to have been as successful as the Zalatimo families ‘mutabaq’. This week I added this sweet and savoury delight to my shortlist of ‘best food in Palestine’. With several branches across East Jerusalem and beyond, the Zalatimo name is … Continue reading Zalatimo Sweets
If you want to drink local beer in Palestine your choices are blissfully simple – there is Shepherds or there is Taybeh. The good news is that not only do both of them taste pretty good but they both come from the sort of small-family businesses that you want to get behind. The conservative and … Continue reading A Tale of Two Beers
Ka’ak has ruled supreme as the Jerusalem bread of choice for thousands of years. It is eaten across the Middle East, but the Al Quds (Jerusalem) variety is known to be especially good. So, what is the secret to this stretched ring-shaped bread? Ka’ak is a popular breakfast but also makes a good brunch, lunch … Continue reading King Ka’ak
East Jerusalem Diaries 