A savory biscuit with a flaky bite: very addicting, especially with a cup of shay bil maramiya (sage-scented tea). Fresh zaatar—a wild-growing thyme typical of Palestine and the Levant— has become expensive and hard to come by in Gaza, since the uncultivated hills where it grows are now largely inaccessible due to the Israeli “no-go” zone along the border.

This recipe is from Laila’s mother’s friend Yosra, may she rest in peace. She wo