A chronicle of food as comfort – and resistance – in the Levant

Like many things in the Levant, even food is political – from culinary traditions preserved across time and borders in defiance of colonial erasure, to the social importance of sharing comforting meals regardless of the crisis at hand.

Al Rawiya has documented untold stories from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine for the past five years. Now the independent women-led platform has published its first print edition, turning the focus to food traditions, flavours that extend far beyond sustenance and the cultural impact of cuisine.

Titled The Flavors We Carry, the inaugural print compendium brings together stories by Levantine writers, artists and creative practitioners in both Arabic and English, offering personal reflections on food and its role in shaping the region’s social and political fabric.

“From the start, we wanted to speak about topics in ways that are accessible, and to break the status quo by addressing subjects that traditional media often overlooks,” Al Rawiya founder Stephani Moukhaiber tells The National. “We focused on refugees, migrant workers, women and the diaspora. Many of our topics touch on politics, social justice, human rights, culture and art.

The debut publication is titled The Flavors We Carry. Photo: Al Rawiya

“Five years later, we’re still doing that – independently and self-funded – but we want to expand, and having a physical edition is part of that,” she adds. “It’s a way to archive our history, our traditions and our culture in a form that speaks to our generation. Publishing in both Arabic and English is also essential.”

The volume explores historical recipes and culinary rituals as markers of memory, identity and belonging, examining how certain foods offer comfort during grief and upheaval, and how cuisine can become an act of resistance in the face of occupation.

It also seeks to bridge the distance between the Levantine diaspora and their homelands, acknowledging the bittersweet relationship many maintain with their heritage. Set against food insecurity, systemic displacement and cultural erasure, the stories span projects such as Paris-based Lebanese artist Sama Beydoun’s Mother Tongue series, which invited members of Lebanon's diaspora to teach her inherited recipes, documenting intimate exchanges in the kitchens of strangers.

Jordanian writer and composer Dina Tahamouqa, meanwhile, reflects on how Circassian communities have preserved – and adapted – their culinary traditions in exile, creating a distinct subgenre of Circassian cuisine shaped by Jordanian influences.

“Al Rawiya means 'the storyteller’, so it was important that all the contr