- Title: Jerusalem chef gives tourists a Palestinian taste of life in the Old City
- Date: 21st December 2022
- Summary: JERUSALEM (DECEMBER 11, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN CHEF AND FOUNDER OF SACRED CUISINE IZZELDIN BUKHARI TALKING TO PEOPLE, STARTING A TOUR OUTSIDE DAMASCUS GATE IN JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY BUKHARI DURING TOUR UNDER DAMASCUS GATE ARCHE / PEOPLE PASSING BY (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHEF AND FOUNDER AT SACRED CUISINE, IZZELDIN BUKHARI, SAYING: "It gives me a way to talk about Palestine and the culture of Palestine through the food. So through this medium, I’m able to talk about a different part of the thing that weaves the Palestinian cuisine and culture (together). And, you know, in our area politics is a big part of the day of talk (talk of the day), so to have something different which is focusing on the culture and food, I found it to be unique and people enjoy it.†MAN TAKING HUMMUS PLATTERS FROM COUNTER TO SERVE THEM TABLE WITH HUMMUS, PITA AND FALAFEL BOWLS OF PICKLES AND FALAFEL BUKHARI EXPLAINING WHAT IS SERVED ON THE TABLE HUMMUS PLATTER / MAN HOLDING CHICKPEAS IN THE BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF ABU SHUKRI HUMMUS, YASER TAHHA, SAYING: "We make the Hummus plate ourselves and present it with a good spirit. It is unique and different from all other Hummus that is made around the city." VARIOUS OF MAN FILLING SPICES IN CONTAINERS MAN SPRINKLING SPICE ON SPICE PYRAMID WITH ORNAMENT ON TOP OF IT READING: "JERUSALEM" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPICE MERCHANT, YACOUB SHEIKH QASIM, SAYING: "This place is visited by everyone, all the Palestinian families and tourists. We came up with the idea of 'Help yourself' and designed the place to go with this theme in the Old City... We moved closer to the Church (Holy Sepulchre) to branch out, away from the other place, and have two places that people can visit and shop from." SPICE PYRAMID / BUKHARI SPEAKING TO GROUP (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHEF AND FOUNDER AT SACRED CUISINE, IZZELDIN BUKHARI, SAYING: “You see high creativity and utilizing every different green in a different way. Even if the greens they will be toxic, they will figure out a way to extract this toxic and still use the benefits of this green and these herbs, so I think this creativity of utilizing is what gives another edge to the Palestinian cuisine.†BAKER PREPARING DOUGH DOUGH WITH CHEESE AND EGG TOPPINGS IN OVEN BUKHARI, HOLDING A PIZZA-LIKE DISH, SPEAKING TO GROUP PIZZA-LIKE DISH HELD BY BUKHARI / PEOPLE TASTING IT (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST, OREST TOKAC, SAYING: "So food is a part of the Palestinian identity and the tasty things we have learned about today very much also helps to preserve the Palestinian identity of this part of Jerusalem.†PASTRIES PASTIES BEING CUT AND PUT ON TRAYS BUKHARI SPEAKING TO GROUP IN CAFÉ COFFEE GROUP OF PEOPLE WALKING UP OLD CITY STEPS VARIOUS OF BUKHARI DRIZZLING TEHINA, EXPLAINING ABOUT IT, AND GIVING SOME TO PEOPLE TO TASTE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST, MAXIM BABIAC SAYING: “My really most favorite part was actually seeing the Old City with all the people.â€
- Embargoed: 4th January 2023 15:02
- Keywords: Cuisine Holidays Jerusalem Tour Tourists
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City: JERUSALEM
- Country: Jerusalem
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001799120122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: 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.
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.
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 center 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.
The overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 Palestinians hold Israeli residency permits but few have citizenship in Israel, which considers the entire holy city as its eternal, undivided capital.
The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognized internationally, as the capital of a future state.
Friction between Israel and Palestinians can sporadically arise, especially around the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the Middle East's most volatile holy sites.
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," said Bukhari.
(Production: Ammar Awad, Emilie Rose) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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