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Geographic Cultures and Cuisines

This guide is dedicated to the rich culinary histories and traditions of various geographic cultures.

Introductory Media

Fadi Kattan's cookbook, Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food – is "dedicated to preserving part of a culture that's been torn apart by decades of displacement and war. It's a love letter through food to his childhood home in the West Bank." Learn more by listening below or visiting NPR.

Find Articles

The following is a selection of the many articles available to you through BU Library Search:

  • "From Palestine to Turtle Island: Food as a weapon of colonialism and tool of liberation" by Sarah Rotz et. al (2024). Available online. 
  • "''Memories from my mother's kitchen': Extinction and anxiety in Joudie Kalla's Palestine on a Plate" by Shelley Angelie Saggar (2018). Available online.
  • "Sumud and Food: Remembering Palestine Through Cuisine in Chile" by Nicholas Bascuñan-Wiley (2019). Available online.

The following is a selection of articles available online:

Video Spotlights

Learn about the rich agricultural history of Palestine, including the production of strawberries through this clip with Palestinian farmer Akram:

"On top of the political violence, Palestinian farmers also face the dangers of agribusiness with its corporate seed production and land dominance. But many of these farmers are the heroes who have been safeguarding the precious seeds, and the knowledge that these carry." Learn more from disarming seeds.

Palestine Heirloom Seed Library

palestine heirloom seed library logo

"Founded by Vivien Sansour, the PHSL and its Traveling Kitchen project seek to preserve and promote heritage and threatened seed varieties, traditional Palestinian farming practices, and the cultural stories and identities associated with them. Based in the village of Battir, a UNESCO World Heritage site outside Bethlehem." Learn more here. 

 

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