Five Ramadan Cravings from the Old City of Jerusalem

When walking around the Old City of Jerusalem, the sights and smells of food and drink are nearly irresistible. With breads, sweets, drinks, and even pickles, how do you know where to start? How do you know what’s the best thing to try? Here are 5 of our favorite things you should pick up in Old City of Jerusalem while you’re heading to Al-Aqsa for prayer and iftar.

Qatayef

These are traditional Ramadan pancakes that are stuffed with (most popularly) goat cheese, then fried, and drenched in homemade syrup. You can even find these stuffed with cream or nuts! This delectable treat is a perfect amount of sweet and savory, and since these are small you can eat a bunch of them!

Majdoul Bread

This bread is mainly baked and sold during Ramadan, and it is a popular crowd-pleaser. In fact, most bakeries around Jerusalem bake this special bread during Ramadan! The name majdoul is the literal translation of the word braided in Arabic, and its beautiful design lives up to its delicious fame. It’s so tasty that you can eat it by itself just like a croissant!

Bein Nareen

Even though this treat looks a lot like kanafe (the famous Nabulsi dessert), bein nareen has its own unique flavors and serving styles to make it stand out. This dessert is prepared with dough that’s similar to kanafe dough, and it’s stuffed with cream and local custard and usually enjoyed cold. This is one sweet you can’t miss on your journey through Old City!

Pickles

Pickles are a big thing in Palestine. You can find all types of things pickled and all kinds of colors to go with it. You’ll find picked cucumbers, cauliflower, aborigine, carrots, turnips, and so much more. You absolutely must pickles to add to your iftar – they’re irresistible! Even if you don’t buy pickles when you’re out shopping, vendors will usually still fill a small box for you when you purchase something else. So spice up your meal with this colorful dish!

Special Ramadan Drinks

The most popular drinks for Ramadan in Old Town are kharoub, tamer hindi, and carrot juice, and they are an absolute must on every Ramadan table. We’ve told you all about the kharoub drink, the cold and chocolatey (and nutritional!) drink sold by street vendors around Old City and every Palestinian city. Tamer hindi is a tamarind drink that combines sweet and sour flavors to make a delectable treat for iftar. And the refreshing, sweet flavors of carrot juice are too hard to resist when you see vendors selling it. In the Old City, it's normal to hear vendors calling out loudly “Kharooooub! Kharooub! Tamer hindi ya nas!” So why not get some of your own for iftar?

We hope this helps you find the best foods and drinks to have for iftar in Old Town! These are some of the best cravings you can buy fresh to take with you. So make sure to stock up and enjoy!