The 10 Palestinian Cookbooks to Get You Cooking Now 👳‍♀️

Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through the Palestinian Cookbooks.

I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.

Palestinian culinary journey 🐪

Palestinian cuisine includes a variety of vibrant and flavorful dishes, ranging from meats to vegetables to sweets. It shares some dishes with other nations in the region, including Egypt to the southwest and Lebanon and Syria to the north. Falafel, sfiha, tabouli, hummus, and baba ghanoush are some of the mainstays they have in common. Nonetheless, Palestinian food has a particular personality that distinguishes it locally and globally. Meals in Palestine are about more than just providing nourishment. Food is central to all aspects of Palestinian life, from daily life to weddings and festivals. It all comes down to making a special occasion memorable and spending time with family and friends. Here’s a list of Palestinian cookbooks to help you understand why The New York Times acknowledged it as a cuisine on the rise.

Here are the 10 Palestinian Cookbooks to amaze your guests with a Palestinian table!

1. Palestine on a Plate: Memories from My Mother’s Kitchen

Why We Love It ❤️

We recommend this fantastic Palestinian cookbook to anyone interested in learning about Palestine’s rich history and food culture. The book is excellently thought out, with each recipe accompanied by stunning photography. Furthermore, the recipes are a good mix of traditional and contemporary Palestinian food and some recipes add Palestinian flavors to Western food. The instructions are simple to grasp and follow, and historical tidbits are also sprinkled throughout the book. The thoughtful author also included a list of stores that might buy some crucial ingredients. Palestine on a Plate is an absolute must-have for every foodie.

Review 📖

Palestine on a Plate is a celebration of Palestinian food culture and family tradition. Taste the wonderful flavors of Palestine with recipes such as zingy fattet hummus (tangy yogurt, chickpeas, and hummus served over toasted pita bread and drizzled in buttered pine nuts), satisfyingly spiced makloubeh (an upside-down spiced rice dish with lamb neck and fried eggplant), eggplant and zucchini stuffed full of spiced and herbed lamb, and delightfully decadent awameh (honey dumplings), all (not coffee at all, but a refreshing mix of water, orange blossom water, and sugar). Immerse yourself in the stories and culture of Palestine through food. Bring Palestine into your home and fall in love with this wonderful way to cook and enjoy food with colorful, stunning photography that captures the vibrancy and romance of the region. This book is a Palestinian cookbook that is truly a feast for the eyes and stomach.

2. Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen

Why We Love It ❤️

Any cook will certainly find this to be a favorite. We highly recommend this Palestinian cookbook, which is full of inspiring stories, stunning images, and delicious food. As you turn the pages and discover more about the country’s cuisine, history, and culture, it will feel as though the author is taking you on a journey through Palestine, one recipe at a time. Each recipe is well written and presented; most of them are simple enough to prepare for weekday meals, and each has an accompanying visual for the reader’s pleasure. 

Review 📖

​​​​​​​​Zaituon is a Palestinian cookbook with over 80 recipes, compelling stories, and magnificent travel photography. From the sun-kissed pomegranate stalls of Akka on the Mediterranean Sea’s coast to the evergreen oases of date plantations in the Jordan Valley to the fading fish markets of Gaza City, the award-winning author unlocks the flavors and fragrances of modern Palestine. Palestinian cuisine is delectably fresh and bright, centered on colorful mezze dishes highlighting the region’s abundant produce, meats, and bold herbs and spices. This book chronicles the evolution of Palestinian cuisine throughout millennia due to the impacts of Arab, Jewish, Armenian, Persian, Turkish, and Bedouin cultures and civilizations that dominated or inhabited what is now known as ancient Palestine. The author explores Palestinian kitchens of various ages and backgrounds, discovering the secrets of their cuisine and sharing inspiring stories, all while being accompanied by 100 magnificent color images. It’s no surprise that Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen was named one of the greatest cookbooks of 2019 by The New Yorker, among many other publications.

3. Falastin

Why We Love It ❤️

This gorgeous compilation of recipes and stories highlights the greatest aspects of Palestinian culture. It does a fantastic job of adapting Palestinian cuisine’s rich culinary heritage into wholesome cooking adapted, lively fare fit for the modern table of the twenty-first century. Well, I laid out recipes with photographs that make you want to make everything. Some dishes require some time to prepare and may be difficult for a novice cook, but generally, this Palestinian cookbook is an excellent introduction to Middle East food. Excellent addition to any collection.

Review 📖

Falastin is an ode to the rich heritage and culture of Palestine. This James Beard Awards 2022 nominee includes 130 staggeringly beautiful images and 120 irresistible dishes such as Fish Kofta with Yogurt, Sumac, and Chile; Pulled-Lamb Shawarma Sandwich; and Labneh Cheesecake with Roasted Apricots, Honey, and Cardamom, to mention a few. These recipes and anecdotes are the product of the authors, Sammi and Tara’s trip around the region, the cultivation of flavors from Sammi’s upbringing, stories from the people they met along the journey, and the food they sampled in the many Palestinian kitchens they visited. This Palestinian cookbook is so lovely that you’ll want to try every recipe. 

4. The Palestinian Table

Why We Love It ❤️

This award-winning Palestinian cookbook is a thoughtful collection of 150 delectable, simple-to-follow traditional dishes from the region, drawn from three generations of the family legacy. It’s a fantastic place to start if you want to learn about Palestinian cooking. Take the renowned late Chef Anthony Bourdain’s words for it:” ‘Reading and cooking from this essential book—a thoughtful collection of great recipes, historical and cultural insights, and beautiful photographs—will move you closer to understanding this complex, fascinating part of the world.” 

Review 📖

The Palestinian Table is a book full of delicious recipes, historical and cultural insights, and stunning photography. This Palestinian cookbook will help you better appreciate the wonderful land of Palestine. “It is not only a way to share our culture and narrative with the world, but also a way to preserve history, to build understanding, to give back, and to inspire,” says the author in a feature for CNN. It’s a visual feast of authentic meals, showcasing the true complexity of this cuisine. “I now realize just how powerful food can be. The recipes, which range from simple everyday meals to festive delicacies suitable for a feast, are accompanied by beautiful photographs, which help bring each dish to life. This book takes readers on a culinary journey through Palestine, highlighting the country’s rich culinary history. The Palestinian family kitchen is a must-have for anyone interested in learning more about the region’s culture. This cookbook, which is refined yet approachable, is ideal for individuals who value the simple joys of cooking and the uplifting power of food.

5. Baladi: A Celebration of Food from Land and Sea

Why We Love It ❤️

Baldi is the much-anticipated follow-up to Palestine on a Plate; true enough, it does not disappoint. The recipes in this Palestinian cookbook are delicious and give accurate instructions on preparing them well. The food in Palestine and its neighboring countries’ cuisine is getting much-deserved global attention at the moment, and this book is a gem in walking you through the reasons why. This book showcases delicious facts about Palestine’s beauty, rich culture, and food. This deserves a spot on your must-read list.

Review 📖

The bestselling author of Palestine on a Plate, Joudie Kalla, introduces readers to more of Palestinian cuisine, one of the best-kept secrets in the Middle East. The word “Baladi” means “my home, my land, my country” and is used here to highlight the cuisine’s broad offerings and bright and mouthwatering dishes. Because Palestine has a wide range of climatic conditions and topographies, the many and varied components used in the book result from these different factors; in this Palestinian cookbook, the author adopts a flexible technique for cooking, drawing inspiration from her surroundings to develop new meals and adding her unique spin to more traditional recipes. Recipes in Baladi are classified by their regions, such as the land, the sea, the fields, and the orchard. Savor the wonderful tastes of Palestine with dishes like Daoud Basha (lamb meatballs cooked in a tamarind and tomato sauce), Samak makli bil camun (fried fish selection with zucchini, mint, and yogurt dip), atayef (soft pancakes filled with cream in an orange blossom sugar syrup), and a plethora of other splendid flavor medleys. Beautiful food images complement each recipe, along with images of Palestine’s landscapes, streets, and people, highlighting the country’s unique culinary tradition.

6. The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey

Why We Love It ❤️

The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey is considered one of the best Palestinian cookbooks out there. The thought put into making this book and its execution is just full of beautiful family traditions. The recipes are undeniably delicious and authentic, and the historical background of some dishes is also included. In addition to that, the recipes are made using accessible ingredients, which is a plus in every cook’s book. Make sure to get your copy. You won’t regret it.

Review 📖

With 130 recipes gathered by the authors from Gaza, this new edition of an award-winning cookbook introduces readers to the underexplored but distinctive cuisine of the Gaza region of Palestine. Fantastic, kitchen-tested recipes for hot stews, tangy dips, fragrant fish dishes, and irresistible honey-drenched desserts can be found here. They will also be enthralled by the numerous in-kitchen interviews in which these women and men from Gaza share their narratives, family sagas, and explanations of the larger social and economic environment they live in the book’s pages as they relate to cooking, farming, and the food economy, hundreds of beautiful photographs of Gazan cooks, farmers, and produce vendors in action. Numerous culinary authorities have recognized The Gaza Kitchen, including Anthony Bourdain, Claudia Roden, and Yotam Ottolenghi.

7. Classic Palestinian Cuisine

Why We Love It ❤️

This Palestinian cookbook offers a wonderful variety of dishes, from regular meals to special dinners. This book does a fantastic job of fusing authentic recipes with Palestine’s rich history. The author added more meaning to the recipes with her touches and anecdotes. She also emphasizes the importance of using fresh ingredients, which helps prepare tasty and nutritious Palestinian meals.

Review 📖

This Classic Palestinian Cuisine covers over a hundred delectable dishes, ranging from salads, stews, and vegetarian food, and mahashi, elaborate stuffed vegetable dishes, to desserts and jams. Expect dishes like ful m’dammas (broad bean salad), kidreh (mutton rice), and djaj mahshi (stuffed chicken), among others. This Palestinian cookbook also shares snippets of the region’s history, both ancient and contemporary, and challenges brought about by commercial agricultural practices that have replaced traditional farming methods, resulting in the lack of truly seasonal ingredients. From coring marrows to buying the perfect cabbage for stuffing, the author thoughtfully added helpful tips and delightful anecdotes, vividly bringing to life the smell, taste, and flavors of Palestinian cookery as practiced in kitchens throughout the region for generations. 

8. Divine Food: Israeli and Palestinian Food Culture and Recipes

Why We Love It ❤️

This book is a lovely coffee table album of Palestinian and Israeli cuisines and ways of life, in addition to being a cookbook for the kitchen. The reader is effectively introduced to various gourmet dishes in Divine Food, including the best of both nations. Some are simpler than others to make, while some are more complex. This stunning and insightful book illustrates how similar the two countries are. If you want to learn more about Palestinian and Israeli food and culture, this is the one for you.

Review 📖

Divine food is not your ordinary Palestinian cookbook because it also shares the spotlight with Israel. Both countries have exceptional and dynamic cuisines, which this book perfectly highlights. The selection of dishes in this book focuses on both cuisines by sharing ways of preparing and presenting their best dishes. The recipes come from trendy restaurants, markets, desert tribes, and those comforting dishes that have been passed down for generations. Accompanying each recipe is a description of the food’s origin and history and an insightful commentary about this food culture. Divine food takes readers on a culinary tour of Israeli and Palestinian cuisine and its regional variations, from northern Arab-Jewish cuisine to nomadic specialties of the Negev Desert, from Tel Aviv’s modern food scene to coastal fish dishes. 

9. The Middle Eastern Cookbook: 100 Authentic Dishes from the Middle East

Why We Love It ❤️

This is a good cookbook to reach for if you want to expand your cooking repertoire. Middle Eastern food is flavorful, hearty, and robust; there’s no reason this shouldn’t be on your list. The instructions are easy enough for a novice cook to follow, and lovely photographs of the finished product are also provided for reference. This is a must-read if you want a good introduction and overview of Middle Eastern cuisine. 

Review 📖

The Middle Eastern Kitchen is a wonderful cookbook that features 100 dishes from the Middle East. Here you’ll find the best dishes Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and North Africa have to offer. Each recipe comes with simple step-by-step instructions complemented by delightful photos. Most of the dishes in this cookbook are approachable and simple enough to cook for weeknight dinners. It is jam-packed with wholesome recipes that have something for everyone, including appetizers, salads, soups, main dishes, and desserts. You and your loved ones will surely adore these authentic and bursting with flavorful Middle Eastern dishes.

10. The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook: Classic Recipes Made Easy

Why We Love It ❤️

This book may be for you if you’re looking for a broader Middle Eastern cookbook that covers numerous Middle Eastern nations. This book has a beautiful layout as well as delightful photos. The thoughtful author also included helpful sections on Middle Eastern herbs and spices and everyday pantry essentials. It is a useful cookbook about Middle Eastern cooking, its background, and its customs.

Review 📖

Create vibrant, flavorful meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert with The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook. Middle Eastern cuisine is known for its lively flavors, which include fresh herbs and spices, creamy yogurt, savory skewered meats, and flaky baklava. The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook allows you to recreate iconic dishes in your kitchen. This complete Middle East cookbook, packed with 100 classic recipes made simple, gives you a true taste of one of the world’s most influential culinary regions. Tabbouleh, Lebanese Chicken Fatteh, Spiced Beef Tagine, and homemade Pita Bread with Hummus are just a few of the tasty dishes in the cookbook. All the ingredients in this Middle Eastern cookbook are readily available at your local grocery store, yet they maintain the authentic flavors and textures of each traditional dish. 

Final Thoughts

Palestinian cuisine is something to keep an eye on. Its recipes are a harmonious blend of freshness and flavor and have a rich and beautiful history. It’s worth looking into, adding to your library, and expanding your cooking repertoire. Surprise yourself and your loved one the next time you make a special meal in the kitchen.

About Palestinian Cooking

Palestinian cuisine remains a mystery compared to other cuisines in the region. Still, thanks to influential cookbook authors such as those who wrote the books on the list of best Palestinian cookbooks above, the cuisine is finally having its “moment in the sun,” as BBC Good Food put it. There’s no reason why these Palestinian cookbooks won’t get you cooking in the kitchen, with their rich heritage that will undoubtedly engage you, compelling stories that will move you, and vibrant and flavorful dishes that will enthrall you. Happy cooking! 

Palestinian Cuisine

Key ingredients in classic Palestinian cooking include olive oil, lemon, garlic, cured meat, lamb, and tahini. Of course, no Middle Eastern from Jordan to Libya dish is complete without fresh herbs and spices, which include mint, parsley, coriander, sumac, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, among others. The Palestinian diet varies according to the region in which they live. Coastal regions are well-known for their freshwater fish and citrus flavors. The West Bank is known for heavier dishes with meat and olive oil, whereas the Gaza Strip cuisine is rich in seafood and spices. Regardless of regional differences, rice, kibbe, taboon bread, lentils, olives, and chili peppers are common across the country. 

Popular Palestinian Recipes

Palestinian cuisine is more than just hummus and falafel. Other popular dishes include vine leaves and mashed vegetables stuffed with rice and minced meat. Another popular dish is Maqlouba, made of layers of meat, rice, and fried vegetables such as cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, and carrots. It is cooked in a large pot before being turned over. Maqlouba means “upside down” in Arabic, and it’s finished with fried nuts or fresh herbs. “Everyone has their way of making it,” as told in a feature by Reuters. Other familiar recipes in the selection of Palestinian cookbooks above are Labneh, Shakshouka, Musakhan, Kunafah, Qidreh, and Taboon.