
Syria
Syrian Mate
متة
Yerba mate imported from South America, drunk hot through a metal straw from a small gourd, a Druze and coastal-mountain habit.
western-asia
Explore 87 foods connected to Syria, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.

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7 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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87 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.

Syria
متة
Yerba mate imported from South America, drunk hot through a metal straw from a small gourd, a Druze and coastal-mountain habit.

Aleppo, Syria
فستق حلبي
Small, deep green pistachios grown around Aleppo and Hama, known in Arabic simply as the Aleppo nut.

Lebanon
تبولة
Parsley and bulgur salad with tomatoes, mint, lemon, dominant fresh parsley with fine bulgur and balanced lemon, a popular and refreshing Arabic salad in UAE, traditional and beloved, daily and healthy.

Israel
طحينة
A smooth paste of ground sesame seeds, the backbone of hummus, baba ghanoush, moutabal and many Lebanese dips and sauces.

Lebanon
حلاوة طحينية
A dense sesame confection made by working tahini with boiled sugar syrup until it sets into a crumbly, fibrous block.

Aleppo, Syria
تتر بورك
Aleppo and Damascus versions of Tatar burak are meat-filled dumplings served with a tangy yoghurt sauce, distinct from smaller shish barak.

Lebanon
منقوشة زعتر
Flat dough spread with a paste of dried thyme, sumac, sesame and olive oil and baked on the floor of a hot oven.

Lebanon
Türk Kahvesi
A method of preparing unfiltered coffee using finely ground beans simmered with water and sugar in a cezve. The result is a strong, aromatic brew with a thick layer of foam, served in small cups with water. UNESCO inscribed Turkish coffee culture on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. The grounds are traditionally used for fortune telling.

Syria
قهوة بيضاء
Hot water with orange-blossom water and sugar, containing no coffee at all, drunk after a heavy meal.

Syria
يبرق
Vine leaves rolled tightly around rice and minced lamb, packed with lamb chops and cooked under a weight with lemon and garlic.

Syria
يالنجي
Vine leaves rolled around rice, tomato, parsley, onion and pomegranate molasses and cooked in olive oil, eaten cold.

Lebanon
فتة
Torn fried flatbread under warm chickpeas, covered with garlicky yoghurt and topped with toasted pine nuts and butter.

Lebanon
زعتر
A Levantine blend of dried thyme or oregano, sumac, toasted sesame and salt, used on flatbreads, with labneh and as a table seasoning.

Syria
زلابية
Yeasted batter is piped into coils, fried until crisp, and soaked in syrup as a Syrian jalebi-style sweet.

Syria
زنود الست
Filo rolled around ashta cream, deep-fried and dipped in syrup, then dusted with pistachio.