Sweets You Must Try in Palestine: Do you have a sweet tooth? If you do, you are guaranteed to satisfy that sweet tooth in Palestine. Sweets are easily found in bakeries along the streets of Palestine and they are served, often daily, in Palestinian homes. Whether is it a cookie with tea, baklava in the evenings, or any other sweet at any other time of the day.
When you travel to Palestine, there will be many sweets to try. Step into any bakery and you will be bombarded with numerous sugar treats to choose from. While we recommend tasting as much as you would like, there are a few that are very popular in Palestine and, therefore, you must try during your travels.
- The first sweet is kanafah
Originating from the Palestinian city of Nablus, Kanafah is perhaps Palestine’s most well-known and recognizable dessert. Served best fresh and warm, kanafah is a cheesy, sugary pastry. The top of this dessert has a nice, crunchy layer of thin noodles that adds great texture to the pastry. Crunchy on the outside, syrupy on the inside, Palestinians and foreigners alike go on and on about the heavenly taste of kanafah. When visiting the West Bank, we highly recommend traveling to the city of Nablus to experience the wonder of kanafah from the place it first began. Visiting Nablus, you will find this deliciously warm sweet around every corner.
- Baklava is very popular in Palestine
Another sweet that is very popular in Palestine is baklava. Stuffed inside layers of phyllo are chopped nuts and sweeteners. The variations of baklava are far and wide. Commonly, you will find baklava filled with pistachios, walnuts, or almonds and sweetened with honey or syrup.
These bite-sized pastries are garnished with more chopped nuts and served at room temperatures. In addition to trying kanafah while in Palestine, be sure to try some variations of baklava as well.
- Sweets filled with Dates
Dates also grow fresh in Palestine and when visiting, you will find many pastries and cookies that are filled with dates. One sweet you are likely to stumble across is ma’amoul. Ma’amoul comes filled with dates and nuts and can be shaped in all sorts of different ways – flat, round, pressed into molds. Frequently sprinkled with powdered sugar, these sweet sweets are commonly served during Easter and Eid.
Like we mentioned earlier, you will have no problem satisfying your sweet tooth in Palestine. To pair with your kanafah, baklava, ma’amoul, or any other pastry, you will frequently be served a cup of tea steeped with mint or sage.
Overall, the Arab world is known for its love of food and love of sweets. Palestine is no different. There are a plethora of pastries and cookies to enjoy – either dunked in tea or eaten on the side.
Final remarks
We encourage you to taste your way through Palestine by trying out these top traditional sweets. And if the opportunity comes your way, it is also a fun and exciting experience to be involved in the process of baking these treat from scratch!
