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The 2,000-year-old city of Nablus, which is located in the northern West Bank and is a lush, green agricultural region that produces some of the best food in the region, is regarded as the region’s capital. Especially during the Ottoman era, Nablus’ location on the old trade route between Jaffa or Jerusalem and Damascus gave rise to a thriving gastronomic culture. Nablus is the place to go if you’re seeking for a range of traditional, regionally grown Palestinian meals and vegetables.
Markets
The fruit and vegetable market in Nablus, which is situated close to the city’s major circle called ad-dawar, is always brimming with a staggering array of seasonal, fresh food. The markets in Nablus are a foodie’s wildest dream, with everything from mountains of strawberries and grapes to cabbages or watermelons the size of a small kid.
NABLUS: Khan Al-Tujjar, a market that was established in the heart of the ancient city of Nablus about 450 years ago, is just as active today as it was then. Locals refer to it as the “Sultan’s market,” but according to a sign at the entryway, the Hamidiyeh market in Damascus, Syria, was built in 1569 by the Ottoman Grand Vizier Qara Mustafa Pasha.
Since ancient times, a significant olive-growing zone has existed in the hills and communities around Nablus. After the busy months of October and November, when olives are harvested, some are pickled in vinegar and make excellent mezze appetizers, but the great majority are turned into olive oil. The basis of Palestinian cooking is delectable, local olive oil, which is drizzled over everything or eaten on its own as a morning staple with bread and za’atar.
Small fruits called olives are produced by olive trees. (Olea europaea). They are related to mangoes, cherries, peaches, almonds, and pistachios and are part of the class of fruit known as drupes, or stone fruits.
Olives contain significant amounts of vitamin E and other potent antioxidants. According to studies, they are healthy for the heart and may fend off cancer and osteoporosis.
One of the main ingredients of the extraordinarily healthy Mediterranean diet, olive oil is made by extracting the beneficial fats from olives.
Olives are also delicious in spreads, salads, and sandwiches.
Nabulsi cheese
Nabulsi cheese, a distant relative of halloumi, is manufactured from sheep’s milk and is likewise brine-preserved. When melted or grilled, it creates a salty, stringy, and delightful addition to salads, sandwiches, or just by itself with olives, figs, and other delectable mezze additions. is one of several Middle Eastern white brined cheeses created by the Palestinians.
Its name alludes to its birthplace of Nablus, and the West Bank and its surroundings are familiar with it. One of the main cheeses eaten in Jordan, along with Akkawi cheese, is nabulsi. It is typically made from sheep’s milk, however goat’s milk can also be used. White and rectangular in form, nabulsi cheese. It has no gas holes and is quite firm.When heated, it softens and becomes stretchy.
Kunafeh
Kunafeh is maybe the most well-known and adored meal to come out of Nablus, or even all of Palestine. What’s not to love about this dish made with an unsalted, mild form of nabulsi cheese, sandwiched between two layers of crispy pastry fried in butter and covered in sugar syrup? The al-Aqsa bakery in the Old City is a kunafeh institution that is well-known across Palestine.
They prepare their kunafeh pastry in their traditional open factory in front of onlookers in large circular trays. You must attempt this Kunafa recipe if you want something to satiate your sweet appetite. It is a traditional treat from Nablus that is devilishly delectable and prepared with shreds of kataifi, a creamy filling, and condensed milk.
Sweets
In addition to kunafeh, Nablus is renowned for making a wide variety of other sweets, such as doughy Zeinab’s fingers, Awasem, and flaky baklawa covered in almonds and syrup. Find a local bakery, then fill your bellies and eyes with the variety of baked products and sweet treats they have to offer. The Old City of Nablus may also have historic candy manufacturers, which provides another incentive to visit.
Without dedicating a particular segment to the desserts of Palestine, no inventory of Middle Eastern sweets is complete. Today, the overly broad category of “Middle Eastern desserts” is applied to many Palestinian treats. Despite their many parallels, Palestinian sweets are unique.