Food: a Bridge Between Cultures + Qidreh, a Traditional Palestinian Dish
In 2014 I went on a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, spending 3 days in Cairo, 3 in Amman and 3 in Hebron in the West Bank. There were so many things that I wanted to report back on during my trip, from some of the differences I noticed in Cairo since the Arab Spring to my 6 hour detainment by Israeli officers at the King Hussein Bridge, but those stories all require a longer explanation and without it could potentially feed into harmful stereotypes if not provided with historical and cultural context. I felt unprepared to provide that context, to be an expert or engage in a political discussion online.
I wanted to find some way to share my trip and to give people a glimpse into the humanity and everyday life in the Middle East. Life that is full of happiness, laughter, tears, babies, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, and everyday happenings, not just a life of headlines on war and oppression as life in the Middle East is so often portrayed. What better way to do that than with food. Food and the gathering around food seemed to be the one thing that I could share that required no political or historical context. Its appeal is universal and it gives people a glimpse into another culture without being heavy or controversial.
During my trip, I started posting a few pics here and there of the meals I was enjoying during my travels on Facebook and discovered that people loved them. I then started to post a bit of info about the food and people enjoyed that a lot as well. So I’ll be posting some of the dishes I photographed and others in a series of posts with a bit of info on the meal and links to resources if you are interested in learning more. I hope these posts give you a glimpse into the Palestinian and Egyptian cultures and fills your kitchen with new foods to try.
I’ll start with a very traditional Palestinian dish that was served as my welcome meal when I arrived at my grandmother’s house in Hebron.
Qidreh: My Hebron Welcome Lunch
Qidreh (also written as Kidra and Qidra) is a very traditional chicken and rice dish that is considered the most famous dish in Hebron. It is best when cooked in a special heavy-duty copper or brass pot in a communal or a restaurant wood-fired oven. This meal served as my tasty welcome lunch when I arrived at my grandmother’s house. It was served with a simple tomato salad and yogurt sauce. It was delicious!
Want to see more images of this yumminess. Google’s got you covered here.
And here are some recipe links for those ready to make Qidreh at home:
http://www.tartqueenskitchen.com/?p=2902
http://onionin.com/recipe/qidra
I plan to tinker a bit in the kitchen myself and will report back with the results, photos and my take on a recipe.
Please comment with your own recipe or experiences making or enjoying Qidreh!
