Food Guide in Syria: How to Enter the Country with a Visa and Exit with a Passport

Legal disclaimer before you start

The Syrian meal is not just a meal. It is Negotiations.You are the weak party in it, and the other party has an additional dish in the kitchen that you haven't tasted yet, and they have a complete meal that is served with a smile: “شو هاد؟ ولا شي أكلت!”

And before we begin, there is a gap between you and yourself on the following item: لن أقول “شبعت” في أول عشرين دقيقة. This sentence will be used against you.

The Paradise of the East, and its beautiful sunrise that is the eastern moon... and the bride of the cities that we have chosen

Ibn Jubair, The Journey of Ibn Jubair

About Damascus, Year 580 AH / 1184 AD

First: The mezze is not appetizers. Mezze showcases strength.

In most kitchens around the world, mezze is served as a delightful introduction to the main course. In Syria, mezze reminds you that you are a small guest in the presence of a great hospitality.

On the table, you will find the following: Hummus with tahini, mutabbal, tabbouleh, fattoush, labneh, pickles, muhammara, and grape leaves, along with spicy potatoes and fatteh.… ثم يأتي النادل ويسألك بلا أي إحساس بالذنب: “طيب شو بدك عالرئيسي؟”

Here, specifically, most visitors make their first mistake. The golden rule: Order half of what you think you need, then discard the rest. Trust us.

Additional Tip: The red pepper paste — this is the red dough made from pepper, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses — is attributed to Aleppo, and it is primarily responsible for the disappearance of the bread basket within four minutes. Watch it closely.

Secondly: Aleppo or the seafood and kibbeh (and this is not a metaphor).

There is a popular saying that goes, "And. Or simply:" “حلب أم المحاشي والكبب”and it is not an emotional exaggeration. Those familiar with Aleppo cuisine can find no less than 16 types of seafoodand about 90 types of kibbehof which 24 types are authentic — including 15 types that are grilled, fried, boiled, and baked, and 9 types with sauce.

Read the number again: ninety types of kibbeh.

This means you can eat a different type of kibbeh every day for three months without repeating yourself — and, frankly, it is a project of a lifetime more than many of the goals you have written in your mind's eye.

And from Aleppo also comes Kebab Al-Kirz: لحم مشوي بصلصة الكرز الحامض، أي أن أحدهم في مرحلة ما نظر إلى صحن اللحم وقال “ناقصه فاكهة”، وكان محقاً تماماً.

Thirdly: your day in Syria, organized according to your schedule

6:30 AM — Foul and Fattah The classic Sham breakfast: Fattah Homs or Foul, with warm bread and tea. Someone will tell you that the best Fattah to eat before 7 AM. It will be true, and you won't like that.

7:00 AM — Local delicacies Zaatar, cheese, grilled meat with bread. The grilled meat from Aleppo is small in size and slightly seasoned with pomegranate molasses, and this makes you feel like you ate two.

2:00 PM — Official lunch Seafood, or Sheikh Al-Mahshi, or a bowl of labneh, or Maqlouba. This is the dish that you will be served.

5:00 PM — Coffee and sweets Brazek (with sesame and pistachio), Cheese dessert، Mabrooma، MadelouqaA dessert with mastic and milk. Booza with mastic and sahlabA delicious dish of yogurt and Aleppo pistachios.

7:00 PM — The shawarma, and you're trying to convince yourself that you're not hungry. No one believes you. Not even you.

Unique activities in Syria:

Fourth: Nutritional Rating — Because timing is everything

Syrian cuisine is seasonal, and the visitor should plan their journey based on this:

Fifth: Social Safety Rules at the Table

Read it twice. We will remind you later (we won't bother you, but read it twice):

1. Don't finish your plate completely إن كنت لا تريد المزيد — الصحن الفارغ إشارة استغاثة تعني “املأوني”.
2. Do not attempt to pay with a large amount. In the first round, you will lose. The bill in Syria is a brutal sport with unspoken rules.
3. قل “صحتين” لمن يأكل بجانبك. الردّ: “على قلبك”.
4. Do not ask about the recipe in front of everyone. If you do not have a free hour, you will receive the recipe, the date of the family gathering, and a sharp opinion on who puts garlic in the stew.
5. Tea after the meal is not optional. It is an administrative procedure.

What type of food are you on?

• (A) The search for authenticity: Your journey will seek an old Damascene restaurant by the fountain and the water basin. You will stay there for four hours.
• (B) Street food: Shawarma, falafel, kebab, rice, and taramasalata. Your daily budget for food is less than the price of coffee at the airport.
• (C) The lounge: You did not come for the effects. You came for the experience, and the rest of the details. We respect this clarity.
• (D) The expatriate: You will not eat in a restaurant at all. You will move between the homes of relatives on a fixed schedule like train schedules, and you will exit the country having gained five kilograms and thirteen pounds of sweets.

Finally: why does this deserve a full journey?

Because food in Syria is not a side activity you do between two archaeological sites. It is the archaeological site itself — and the flavors have been passed down through generations, and markets have been working for centuries, and modern kitchens differ from each other in some dialectical variations: the Sham dialect tends to balance and subtle sweetness, while the Aleppo dialect leans towards boldness and flavor, and the coastal dialect opens the door to fish and seafood and the humble tahini.

And in Hala Cham we arrange all of that for you: where to sleep, where to eat, and what meal to book in each city — until you discover after your return that you visited Aleppo and did not try the kebab of the kurds, which is something your friends will find hard to forgive you for.

Our question to you: What is the Syrian dish that you dream of experiencing first? Write it in the comments, and we will turn it into a complete food tour in our upcoming article.