Gazan Bedouins are keen on keeping alive traditional roasted watermelon dish

Despite the living poor conditions, people in Gaza are trying to keep their cooking traditions alive and eat their own distinctive seasonal dishes like roasted unripe watermelon Salad (or fatit ‘Ajir as it’s called in Arabic).

The dish, also known as Qursa or Muleela, is a very popular dish among nomadic people in the strip and among families who camped out on the beach in the early summer. It is made by fire-roasting unripe watermelon, Arabic for ‘Ajir’, along with chilies, onions, eggplant, and tomatoes mixed with olive oil.

The dough is fire-baked to make bread that is mixed with roasted vegetables to be ready to eat. Sami Said, a supervisor and responsible for preparing and cooking the salad, told A24 News Agency’s reporter Mohammed Al-Najjar that people visit them from different regions only to taste the fatit ‘Ajir.

Jihad Ibn Said, a guest of the Bedouins, also spoke to A24 reporter and said People, especially the Bedouins in Palestine, are keen on keeping this traditional dish alive.

Many Traditional dishes in Gaza often revolve around fish and seafood are to be found in an enticing cookbook, The Gaza Kitchen, which combines recipes with stories from Gaza.

One of its two authors, Palestinian Laila el-Haddad, says Food was always a way for me to stay connected to my heritage and Palestinian identity.