A Gift From Our Palestinian Pantry

Over the past few weeks, many of you followed along as we shared our Fall Palbox and the foods, farmers, makers, and traditions behind it.

Whether or not you ordered a box, we wanted to share something with you: The Palestinian Pantry: A Field Guide.

It focuses on four ingredients you may already have in your kitchen:

Olive oil. Za'atar. Sumac. Tahini.

But instead of simply telling you what they are, the guide looks at where they come from, the Palestinian people and places behind them, how to taste them, and how to actually use them at home.

Inside you'll find:

• The story of Rumi olive oil from Jenin
• Palestinian za'atar and the villages where it grows
• Sumac from the Nablus area and the women preserving the tradition of preparing it
• Tahini and its Jerusalem roots
• Five simple ways to use each ingredient during the week
• Easy recipes, including Palestinian dressing, manaqeesh, sumac onion salad, and tahini sauce
• A look at the foods Palestinians traditionally preserve from one season to the next

One of the ideas behind this guide is simple:

Food loses something when its origin disappears.

Olive oil becomes nameless. Za'atar becomes simply "Middle Eastern." The product remains, while the people and places behind it become harder to see.

We wanted to do the opposite — to name where these foods come from, who is behind them, and give practical ways to bring them into your own kitchen.

We hope you cook from it, keep it nearby, and learn something new about the Palestinian foods you already know.

Warmly,
Bshara and Kiersten
Palbox