Palestine has a wealth of delicious foods that we don’t often hear about but are delicious all the same. Its cuisine is influenced by countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. While there are many Palestinian dishes worth talking about such as Hashweh, a dish made of spiced rice and meat; Dawali, which is stuffed grape leaves; and Mansaf, which is spiced lamb in a yogurt sauce; however, there is one dish we’ll highlight in this article: Msakahn. This dish is an essential part of Palestinian food culture and is often called the national dish of the country.

  Msakhan is a chicken dish served on top of taboon bread with seasonal onions. Taboon bread, sometimes called Lafah, is a popular staple throughout the Middle East. The bread is named after a dome shaped oven which it’s cooked in. The floor of the oven is covered with stones and heated up before the bread dough is placed on top to cook. This method of cooking gives taboon bread the indented appearance which it’s known for. After the bread is cooked, an onion spread made of seasoned onions is spread atop the bread and a piece of chicken is placed on top.

  For those wanting to try out Msakhan for themselves, there is a Palestinian-owned restaurant in Raleigh which serves it called Habibi Grill & Bakery. Other than Msakhan, they also serve other Palestinian and Middle Eastern dishes such as Shish Tawook, Lamb Mandy, Manoushe Zaatar, and grape leaves. For a taste of Palestine closer to Millbrook, try Yaba, for counter-service shawarmas and other quick bites.