Palestinian chef Izzeldin Bukhari begins the tours he offers to the Old City of Jerusalem with breakfast at Abu Shukri's hummus restaurant which he says serves the perfect balance of chickpeas, tahina and lemon juice.
"Palestinian cuisine really utilizes what the land has to offer," Bukhari says, explaining that these heavily plant-based recipes are deeply rooted in a connection to the local produce.
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The owner of the famed Abu Shukri restaurant prepares a bowl of chickpea-based hummus in Jerusalem's Old City, December 11, 2022
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Bukhari, descended from Sufi mystics who walked to Jerusalem from Bukhara in Uzbekistan 400 years ago, takes guests down the narrow streets of the Old City, to food stalls and restaurants, telling stories of recipes dating back thousands of years.
For Palestinians living in the complex and often tense political environment of East Jerusalem, which includes the walled Old City and its holy sites of three major religions, food is a major part of their cultural identity. The stories behind it open up ways to talk about the wider culture.
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Tourists browse at a sweet dessert stall in a market, Jerusalem's Old City, December 11, 2022
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Bukhari explains that kras beid, a quiche-like dish but with a pizza-style crust, is not just a food but also a social activity which brings people together in the evenings. Even the humble plate of hummus served for breakfast has found itself at the centre of heated debates about whether it is a Jewish or Palestinian dish.
"It gives me a way to talk about Palestine and the culture of Palestine through the food," said Bukhari.
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A woman sells leaves from plants used in traditional Palestinian cuisine outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, December 11, 2022
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
The overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in Israel.
Friction between Israel and Palestinians can sporadically arise, especially around the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the Middle East's most volatile holy sites.
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A depiction of the Dome of the Rock rests on a tower of zaatar at a spice stall in a market, Jerusalem's Old City, December 11, 2022
(Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
A lesson on food becomes a lesson about a city which has changed hands, like recipes, over generations. In a spice shop, Bukhari explains that rice was once considered a rare delicacy and used sparsely or as a garnish served on other grains, while Palestinians mostly cook with other grains, such as Freekeh, wheat picked when it is young and then fire roasted.
"In our area politics is a big part of the talk of the day, so to have something different which is focusing on the culture, I found it to be unique and people enjoy it as well," said Bukhari.