Cuisine of Jerusalem

Lore & Background

Literary and archaeological remnants shed light on ancient Jerusalemite cuisine. In Samuel II, David distributed lentil pancakes among inhabitants. Archaeological findings reveal vanilla-flavored wine from the 7th–6th centuries BCE, and fish bones from the Iron Age suggest preserved fish was consumed. A 'Fish Gate' is mentioned in the Books of Chronicles, Zephaniah, and Nehemiah. Storage jars from the Ophel area, destroyed during Nebuchadnezzar's siege in 587 BCE, held flour, oil, and date honey. The earliest Middle Eastern evidence of citrus fruits dates to the 5th–6th centuries BCE, found in Ramat Rachel.

In Crusader times, Queen Melisende established the Triple Market in 1152, with streets named the Street of Herbs, the Street of Bad Cooking (now Perfumers' Market), and the Covered Street. In the 16th century, bread was the predominant staple, with varieties including kmaj, mawi, sammun, simid, tannuri, and tabbuni. Records from the 17th-century Islamic court mention kmaj, ka'ak, and aljerk (now maruk). Obadiah of Bertinoro in the late 15th century noted large grapes and grape syrup; Israel of Perusha in the 16th century also mentioned grapes and grape syrup. In 1853, Louis Félicien de Saulcy wrote that in Jerusalem, no festival occurs without a Kenafeh.

In the early 19th century, Jerusalem housed about 9,000 residents, including Jews from Sephardic, Musta'arabi, and Ashkenazi backgrounds. Sephardic Jews arriving from the Ottoman Empire in the 17th–18th centuries shaped the city's food culture. Later influxes from Eastern and Western Europe, Turkey, Syria, the Balkans, North Africa, the Maghreb, Iran, Bukhara, Yemen, and Kurdistan introduced new influences. Following the 1967 War, Palestinian laborers from the West Bank increased the number of Palestinian restaurants, and East Jerusalem became popular for hummus restaurants.

Reader's Guide

The cuisine of Jerusalem is significant as a living record of the city's role as a crossroads of civilizations. Its dishes—such as ka'ak-al-quds, Jerusalem mixed grill, kubbeh, and Yerushalmi kugel—embody layers of history from ancient Israelite, Crusader, Ottoman, and modern periods. The cuisine reflects the blending of Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Kurdish, and Palestinian traditions, with street food thriving in markets like Mahane Yehuda and the Old City's Arab souk. Archaeological evidence, including vanilla-flavored wine jars and fish bones, reveals early culinary sophistication. The evolution from bread-centric diets in the 16th century to the diverse offerings of today illustrates how migration, trade, and conquest continuously reshaped local food. Modern Jerusalemite cuisine remains a dynamic fusion, preserving ancient recipes while adapting to global palates. Its legacy lies in its ability to tell the story of Jerusalem's diverse communities through taste, from the Sephardic bourekas and biscochos to the Ashkenazi Yerushalmi kugel and Middle Eastern staples like hummus and knafeh.

Did You Know?

• Archaeological findings reveal vanilla-flavored wine jars from the 7th–6th centuries BCE in Jerusalem.
• Queen Melisende established the Triple Market in 1152, including a Street of Bad Cooking.
• In the 16th century, bread was the predominant staple in Jerusalem, surpassing meat and olive oil in importance.
• Louis Félicien de Saulcy wrote in 1853 that no festival in Jerusalem occurs without a Kenafeh.

A Table Shaped by Centuries of Conquest and Exchange

The culinary identity of the Jerusalem region is a palimpsest of successive civilizations. After the 7th-century Muslim conquest, the land became part of Bilad al-Sham under the designation Jund Filastin, and the early Arab settlers brought a relatively modest repertoire centered on rice, lamb, yogurt, and dates. That foundation remained largely unchanged for centuries until the Abbasid Caliphate, with its capital in Baghdad, wove Persian culinary elements into the existing Arab tradition. The Ottoman takeover in 1516 layered yet another stratum, as the empire's own rich Arab-influenced cuisine merged with local practices, a process eased by the shared Islamic faith between the ruling Turks and the Muslim population. After the Crimean War of 1855, Bosnian, Greek, French, and Italian settlers arrived in cities like Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Bethlehem, each adding their own flavors. The result is a cuisine that shares deep structural similarities with its Levantine neighbors—Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian—yet carries its own distinct imprint shaped by every hand that has cooked over its fires.

Three Kitchens, One Land

Palestinian cooking is far from monolithic; it fractures into at least three recognizable regional traditions. In the Galilee, bulgur and meat—beef or lamb—dominate the plate, often combined into dishes that can serve as a full family meal or a complementary side. The West Bank presents a heavier profile, with rice, flatbreads, and roasted meats forming the backbone of the table, a style that sets it apart from the lighter northern Levantine fare. Along the Mediterranean coast of Gaza, fish becomes the staple, and the flavor palette shifts noticeably: chili peppers, dill seeds, and garlic take center stage, while Egyptian culinary traditions leave a strong mark on local preparations. Within the West Bank itself, further subregions stretch from north to south, each carrying subtle variations in technique and ingredient. Despite these distinctions, Palestinians have never been rigidly confined to the foods of their immediate area, and cross-pollination between these zones has always been a living part of the culinary landscape.

Bread, Ovens, and the Rhythm of Daily Life

Early 20th-century observers documented a food culture organized around communal infrastructure and seasonal labor. In towns, bakers shaped dough in a shared furnace called a furn, while rural families relied on a tannur; urban residents never baked at home. The oven, as G. Robinson Lees noted in 1905, was not a household appliance but a dedicated building jointly owned by several families, whose collective duty was to keep it perpetually hot. Butchers chopped meat finely for mahashi, described as the favorite dish of townspeople. Confectioners, known as halawany, sold ma'amoul, karabeej Halab, mutabaq, knafeh, and raha, while street vendors offered sesame-coated white-flour cakes distinct from unleavened kaʿk. Elihu Grant's 1921 account of peasant life revealed a diet built on samneh, olive oil, and sesame oil, with staples like hummus bi-tahineh, eggplant maklouba, mujaddara, and stuffed vegetables. Meals were eaten with bread from a common plate, and guests were welcomed with preserves, fruit, and coffee.

Sweets, Seasonal Rites, and the Question of the Cup

Palestinian confectionery spans everyday treats and holiday-specific preparations. Most sweets are pastries filled with sweetened cheese, dates, or nuts—almonds, walnuts, pistachios—ranging from the familiar ma'amoul baked for Easter to the more elaborate knafeh and karabeej Halab. Seasonal and religious observances shape the beverage table as well: during Ramadan, carob, tamarind, and apricot juices are poured at sunset, while coffee flows throughout the day as a near-constant companion. Alcohol occupies a marginal place in the broader population, though arak and beer find a following among Christian communities and some Muslims. The 1946 Survey of Palestine noted that Palestinian Arabs primarily ate mutton, the Jewish population favored beef, and small quantities of pork were imported chiefly for Palestinian Christians. By the mid-20th century, rice had begun displacing bulgur and freekeh in dishes like mujaddara and maqluba, marking a quiet but significant shift in the pantry.

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