Syrian

What it is

Syrian cuisine is one of the cradles of the Mediterranean food world. Damascus claims the title of longest continuously inhabited city, and its souks have been trading saffron, pistachio, and olive oil for millennia. Aleppo, until the recent war, was the country’s gastronomic capital — its long-cultivated aleppo pepper gives the cuisine its mellow heat.

How it tastes

Syrian cooking is tangier and slightly sweeter than its Lebanese cousin. Pomegranate molasses and tamarind appear in many dishes; nuts thicken sauces; the heat from Aleppo pepper sits gently behind the salt.

Signature dishes & techniques

Aleppo’s kibbeh nayyeh — raw lamb pounded with bulgur — is the city’s celebration plate, eaten with mint and onion. Muhammara, a dip of roasted red pepper, walnut, and pomegranate molasses, has spread worldwide. Trays of knafeh, syrupy cheese-and-shredded-pastry dessert, are the regional ambassador for breakfast sweet teeth.