The 20 most famous dishes of Syria
Syrian cooking — especially from Aleppo and Damascus — is among the world's most refined and varied, with dozens of kibbehs, kebabs and sweets that travelled everywhere.
1Kibbeh Labanieh
Kibbeh balls cooked in warm yoghurt with garlic and dried mint — a classic of Damascus.
2Aleppo Kebab
Lamb mince with Aleppo pepper and onion grilled over charcoal — Aleppo is the kebab capital with dozens of…
3Kebab Karaz (Cherry Kebab)
Small kebab balls cooked in a sauce of sour Aleppo cherries and served on bread — one of Aleppo's finest…
4Muhammara
A dip of red peppers with walnuts, pomegranate molasses, cumin and breadcrumbs — a sweet-hot Aleppo mezze.
5Shakriyeh
Lamb cooked in a hot yoghurt sauce with onions, served with vermicelli rice.
6Yalanji
Vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomato, parsley and pomegranate molasses, cooked in olive oil and served cold.
7Freekeh with Chicken
Smoky roasted green wheat cooked in chicken broth with spices, topped with chicken and nuts.
8Kousa Mahshi bi Laban
Courgettes stuffed with rice and meat, cooked in hot yoghurt with garlic and mint, or in tomato sauce.
9Shish Barak
Little meat-filled dumplings like ravioli, baked and then cooked in hot yoghurt with coriander and garlic.
10Makdous
Baby aubergines stuffed with walnuts, red pepper and garlic, preserved in olive oil for weeks — a staple of…
11Ouzi
Crisp pastry parcels filled with spiced rice, meat, peas and nuts — a Damascene celebration dish.
12Harrak Osbao
Lentils with tamarind-sour pomegranate, homemade pasta, crispy fried bread, onions and garlic-coriander — a…
13Mamounia
An Aleppo semolina pudding with butter and syrup, served hot for breakfast with string cheese and cinnamon.
14Halawet el Jibn
Silky sheets of semolina and cheese rolled around clotted cream and doused with syrup — Hama's famous sweet.
15Barazek
Thin Damascene biscuits coated with toasted sesame on one side and pistachios on the other.
16Fatteh Makdous
Fried aubergines stuffed with meat and cooked in tomato sauce, layered over toasted bread with yoghurt and…
17Daoud Basha
Small meatballs with pearl onions in a tomato and pomegranate-molasses sauce, served with vermicelli rice.
18Booza (Mastic Ice Cream)
Stretchy ice cream made with mastic and salep, pounded with wooden pestles and covered in pistachios — famous…
19Fatayer Sabanekh
Triangular pies filled with spinach, onion, sumac and lemon, baked until golden.
20Aleppo Sujuk
Spicy beef sausage with garlic and spices, fried with tomatoes or grilled and eaten in bread.