Rice Dishes

Although not grown in Palestine, rice is a staple food and is unquestionably the basic ingredient in ceremonial dishes. It invariably accompanies stews and is an essential component of mahashi. My children love to eat vermicelli or plain rice with cold yoghurt as a snack.

Mansaf and kidreh, without which any celebration does not deserve any mention, are de rigueur at every traditional wedding, funeral, baptism and circumcision. Mansaf originally comes from Jordan but was adopted wholeheartedly by the Palestinians as a dish for special occasions, most particularly in the Hebron area. Kidreh is served as a rule in the Bethlehem and Jerusalem areas. They are often served the traditional way in a large, shared plate, a sidir, and without the use of western tableware.