27-06-2025
On Palestinian cooking and cultural preservation
The ongoing war in Gaza has destroyed much of its cultural heritage. But amidst the rubble, at least one Palestinian staple endures: the common mallow plant.
This spinach-like leaf, which forms the basis of a traditional stew called 'Khubeze' that has helped many Gazans stave off hunger, is one of many native plants at the centre of Palestinian cuisine.
Sami Tamimi, the acclaimed Palestinian chef who comprises half of the duo behind the popular Ottolenghi deli and restaurant empire, pays tribute to this culinary tradition of 'farming and foraging and eating what is growing in your backyard' in his forthcoming cookbook 'Boustany,' or 'My Garden' in Arabic, which will be released in the US on July 15.
Tamimi emphasised the importance of promoting and preserving the Palestinian people's rich culinary heritage — not only amidst the destruction of Gaza, but in the face of what he sees as the longstanding appropriation of traditional Palestinian dishes.
Palestinian cuisine has surged in popularity in recent years, in part because chefs like you have made it more accessible. What do you make of its rise?
It wasn't deliberate. I just wanted to promote our food, the culture, the stories behind it, where it all comes from, the whole connection to the land — all which I felt, amidst all the war, was getting slightly lost.
The thing that really winds me up is seeing so many Israeli restaurants opening in the UK and Europe and America that are basically selling our food in the name of Israeli new cuisine. What they do is take a dish and take it out of context. They don't have any backstory about where this dish comes from, what kind of tradition is behind it. It gets worse when they don't even bother to change the name of the dish.
So, maklouba appears on menus as maklouba; mujadara (a popular Levantine dish of lentils, rice and crispy onions) is mujadara. I'm not saying all these dishes are Palestinian, but they have their own history and heritage and rituals; and claiming all of that.
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian-British chef, food-writer and restaurateur Sami Tamimi prepares a dish from his new cookbook during an interview with Reuters at his home in London, Britain, June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
Do you see the growing prominence of Palestinian cuisine as part of an effort to preserve Palestinian culture, or assert ownership?
We have some really talented chefs that are pushing the boat towards preserving and putting our food under the limelight in a good way. But it took a long time because, coming out of trauma, people are focusing on other things to rebuild and preserve. Food was the last bit.
Were you always drawn to Palestinian food, specifically?
From a young age, I wanted to learn other cuisines. Later, when I moved to Tel Aviv, I realised that the food that was important to me is Palestinian food. But I didn't want to do traditional Palestinian food because, first of all, it takes hours to make. And there's no market for it. It sounds horrible, but when you do traditional food like this in a restaurant, it's a bit like peasant food. People don't appreciate it.
I worked in a Californian grill place for a few years and I started to combine bases of Palestinian food into new ingredients. It was fun because I could stay true to a dish but kind of elaborate on it and this became my style.
Was your intention with your 2020 cookbook 'Falastin' to provide that backstory?
With 'Falastin', I wanted to give thanks. I've been cooking for so many years and borrowing dishes from our repertoire as a Palestinian and I wanted to stop and say thank you.
In the '90s, we had a lot of books that talked about Mediterranean food and Middle Eastern food; and it's a vast chunk of the world. Nowadays, the focus is really about a certain place and its culture and the food. It's a wonderful way to convey a lot of what I wanted to say about modern-day Palestine. What I wanted to achieve from it was to interview real people that really inspire me and who I thought will inspire other people.
How does 'Boustany' differ from 'Falastin'? Apart from it being your first solo cookbook, it's comprised of vegetarian recipes, right?
Vegan and vegetarian. The whole idea started from the Covid-19 lockdown. When you're in a situation like lockdown, you really get homesick because you want to be with your family and eat the food that brings you comfort. I wanted, in a way, to transport myself to being with my family back home. But because I couldn't, I started cooking simple dishes like Khubeze. It started with me just writing these recipes and, six months later, I had 300. — Reuters
