Palestinian Cuisine

Musakhan is usually roast chicken with onions, sumac, olive oil, and taboon bread, strongly tied to the olive harvest. Maqluba is a layered rice dish flipped upside down before serving, often with chicken or lamb, eggplant, cauliflower, and yogurt on the side.

No, hummus and falafel are common Levantine foods, but Palestinian cooking has signature dishes like musakhan, maqluba, sayadieh, and Nablus-style knafeh. Olive oil, sumac, za'atar, lentils, grains, and fresh herbs show up constantly.

Nablus is strongly associated with knafeh nabulsiyeh, a cheese pastry soaked in syrup. The dish uses Nabulsi cheese or a similar salty white cheese, which gives it a very different character from ordinary sweet pastries.

Musakhan is a good starting point because it uses a very Palestinian flavor set: chicken, sumac, onions, taboon bread, and plenty of olive oil. Maqluba is better if you want a dramatic family-style rice dish that shows the communal side of the cuisine.