Palestinian cuisine is known for its rich flavors, its refined use of a range of spices and olive oil but also its indulgent sugary sweets. In general, it closely resembles the cuisine of other Levantine countries, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. We decided to try and locate a Palestinian restaurant in Cairo, which should not be an impossible task, considering that ever since the establishment of Israel in 1948 rendered thousands of Palestinians refugees, a significant Palestinian population – many of whom Gazans – have come to live in Egypt. A stint of online research presents us with the restaurant “Al Awda” (the return), which immediately rings a bell for anyone familiar with the ongoing Palestinian struggle, at the heart of which lies their demand for a ‘right to return’ to their homeland. The restaurant seems to be well known in Nasr City, the suburb in which it is located, as we receive encouraging nods when asking a couple of people for directions: “Ah yes, Al Awda is right up there on your right.” Indeed, on a side street just up from the more bustling Abbas El-Akkad, we spot the…
