Written by Aira Julie Gianan/THE RED CHRONICLES
Layout by Lynden Alyanna Valenzuela/THE RED CHRONICLES
It was only a simple plan: have lunch in Don Antonio, Quezon City, and sample their Palestinian food at the Little Gaza’s Kitchen. My mission: To try some of their meals and write an observational piece about their offerings and operations as a whole. The truth is, I had zero knowledge about them, who they were, or what dishes they actually served. I only figured out that they currently do not have a physical restaurant but can only be found online.
Rather than having lunch in QC, the Palestinian food hub sent me their bestsellers instead. It is great because I won’t get stuck in traffic traveling from South to North. But joking aside, I was lucky to receive their Palestinian dishes: Chicken Maftool/Couscous, Beef Kebab, Musakhan Rolls, and Arayes Grilled Sandwich. It was my first experience with Palestinian cuisine, and the intensity of the spices and the unfamiliar flavors were quite different from what I am used to with Filipino cuisine.
I must confess, initially, I did not recognize the particulars of Gazan flavors. However, as I sampled more dishes from their menu, I gradually began to appreciate them. For someone trying Gazan cuisine for the first time, the flavors might be surprising due to the unfamiliar spices. Nevertheless, if you ask me if I would order again, I would certainly say yes because the food is truly mouth-watering.
The Birth of Bazaars & Food Hub
Beyond the Little Gaza’s Kitchen’s enticing dishes lie a compelling story of their business. After researching about them, my curiosity piqued even more. Little did I know that the Little Gaza’s Kitchen initiatives are founded by volunteers, as well as Filipino women who married Palestinian men. These women, who were repatriated to the Philippines, brought the culinary taste of Gaza to Metro Manila to showcase Palestinian cuisine during Ramadan. There are more than a dozen Filipino-Palestinian families who were forced to leave Palestine due to the Israeli State occupation in the Gaza Strip.
The co-founders of the kitchen initiative came here to the Philippines as refugees in the hope of a better future. Filipino spouses of these Palestinians are helping them to rebuild their lives here in the Philippines, and jointly running a business such as offering Palestinian cuisine to earn a living. It is hard for them to adjust to their new life here, especially finding a job where even if they have high academic credentials and job experience, their documents were destroyed by the bombing incident in their homes in Gaza.
Indeed, it is heartbreaking to think that the refugees came here because they no longer feel safe in their homeland. The truth is, when they arrived in the Philippines, each had only one backpack. Their homes were destroyed, and many people, especially children, were killed every day. That is why they are grateful for the generosity and donations of the Filipino community. A group of 16 Palestinian families, totaling 70-80 persons, were currently housed in a compound building supplied by Kamilah Dimaporo-Manala-o in Quezon City to aid these communities have better shelter while they work to construct a new future in the Philippines. These families remained hopeful and resilient despite the uncertainty of the future.
When asked if the refugees would return to Gaza, their answer was yes—if there would be peace in Palestine. However, in reality, they acknowledged the difficulty of returning and admitted that there was nothing left for them there. Thus, their ultimate goal is to build a new life here in the Philippines and introduce Palestinian culture through their dishes, hoping that Filipinos will come to appreciate and enjoy them.
A Taste of Gaza
Palestinians are proud of their food. In fact, their food is bound with identity. One mother from the kitchen initiative remembered when they came here in the Philippines, they found it hard to find spices that they cook with in Gaza until they encountered Shopee.
Foremost, Little Gaza’s Kitchen offers the best-selling Maftoul. It is a handmade legacy crafted by Palestinian mothers, who are the experts in making this special dish. Cooked with several aromatic spices, chicken, and chickpeas. Women make the couscous by hand, they have mastered the unique hand movements required to form each granule, a skill that has been passed down through many generations.
Next on the best-seller list are the Mushakan rolls. These are also considered as the national dish of Palestinian, which have been the favorite dish of Palestinians everywhere. It is a combination of succulent chicken and caramelized onions sautéed in fresh olive oil, all wrapped in shrak or tortilla bread. It is said that this meal is a symbol of self-sufficiency in rural Palestine.
Further on the menu is the Arayes. It is a very popular Palestinian street food. They are traditionally-made sandwiches of pita bread stuffed with an aromatic mixture of either ground beef or lamb. The juices that seep from the meat while cooking marinate the pita with savory flavors and turn its soft exterior into a crunchy one.
From the Philippines to Palestine: A History of Refuges & Struggle Against Occupation and Genocide
The Philippines has a long history of accepting refugees and displaced groups, demonstrating its strong humanitarian culture. Cecilia Hernandez of the Department of Foreign Affairs underlined the significance of assisting the returning families to ensure their safety and integration in our country.
In 1939, the late Manuel L. Quezon saved 1,200 Jews from the horrors of Nazi rule. It was a selfless act during a period of adversity, that even though every nation closed their doors to the Jewish refugees in their darkest hours, the Philippines welcomed them in their new home. It is no wonder that the Philippines is always known as a safe haven for refugees.
Ultimately, Little Gaza’s Kitchen stands as a testament to the unfairness of the world. They might not be here if the occupation did not take place in their homeland. It is saddening that we got to experience their food in that way. But those women who established this Little Gaza Kitchen are remarkable. With the support of their Palestinian spouse, they explore and apply food as a tool for change, a taste of hope and healing in their newfound home, the Philippines.
References:
- benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/refugees-gaza-manila-palestinian-delicacies
- Musawah Rhadeem, “From Gaza to the Philippines, this is how Palestinian families find strength and resilience through food” April 3, 2004- https://www.adobomagazine.com/featured/from-gaza-to-the-philippines-this-is-how-palestinian-families-find-strength-and-resilience-through-food/
- Cover story, DL Pineda, “Solidarity is also served at Palestinian Filipino food line” April 7, 2024.https://coverstory.ph/our-little-gaza-kitchen/
- Pineda, dls, coverstory, “Solidarity is also served at Palestinian- Filipino food line” April 7, 2024 https://coverstory.ph/our-little-gaza-kitchen/
- Taman,Galian “UncoveringThe Story Of Maftoul: Palestine’s Soulful Couscous” November 24, 2023 https://scoopempire.com/story-of-maftoul-a-dish-ingrained-in-the-heart-of-the-palestinian-identity/
- https://palestineinadish.com/recipes/musakhan-rolls/
- https://www.fufuskitchen.com/arayes/
- Musawah Rhadeem, “From Gaza to the Philippines, this is how Palestinian families find strength and resilience through food” April 3, 2004- https://www.adobomagazine.com/featured/from-gaza-to-the-philippines-this-is-how-palestinian-families-find-strength-and-resilience-through-food/
- Neal Matt, “Quezon’s Game, how Filipino president Manuel Quezon rescued 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust” March 6, 2020, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/how-filipino-president-manuel-quezon-rescued-1200-jews/12009840
- https://globalnation.inquirer.net/207641/unhcr-lauds-ph-for-providing-safe-haven-to-refugees