Fattoush salad - The word Fattoush is derived from ‘fattat’ or "fattafit" meaning flatbread. The salad is made by combining vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, radish, onion, parsley and mint leaves. Fattoush offers the sweet and sour tastes of pomegranate, with the secret to its authentic flavor being a pinch of sumac in the vinaigrette.

Stuffed grape leaves are a classic Syrian meze. The filling is made of rice to which is added, according to individual preference, onions, peppers, tomato paste or chili paste. While some cooks add lemon juice or dried mint to enhance the flavor, a spoonful of pomegranante molasses makes all the difference. 

This is an eggplant purée flavored with lemon juice and olive oil. Although the basic recipe is common to all traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, in Syria there's always room to add some pomegranate seeds and pomegranante molasses. 

Muhammara is a dip made from roasted bell peppers and walnuts. The ingredients are finely ground along with walnuts, bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, pepper paste, cumin and olive oil. While the peppers add the spice, the pomegranate molasses adds tang. This flavorful dip is a part of every meal in Syria and a must try!

In Syria there are more than 100 kinds of kebbe, one for every region, every season, every occasion. They are essentially meatballs formed into little torpedo shapes with tapered ends, baked or fried. The mixture can range from simple chopped nuts and mild chili paste to a more elaborate version using a blend of bulgur, ground beef and spices. 

Do you like tartare? Very different from western tartare, the Syrian version is made from habra, top-quality beef ground almost to a paste and combined with bulgur, olive oil, mild chili paste and onion, seasoned with salt and cumin, and served with a spicy walnut condiment. 

Who hasn't heard of or eaten kebabs? They are skewers of ground beef or lamb combined with walnuts, a seven-spice blend, onion and salt and grilled over a wood fire. They're traditionally served with a Syrian tomato sauce and labneh with mint and cumin. 

This is the favored dish for special occasions, roasted in the oven and surrounded by freekeh. 

Freekeh is an eastern variety of green wheat sold whole or cracked - called freekeh bulgur - in organic stores and eastern groceries. Its smoky taste is very appealing. In Syria, it is almost always garnished with toasted walnuts. 

Baklava is a popular dessert in Syria  but are your familiar with Basbousa - Semolina cake?

This traditional Syrian dessert is moist, sticky, sweet and absolutely delicious. Traditional Basbousa is a semolina cake made with nuts, unsweetened coconut, flour, plain yogurt and sugar. After the cake is baked in the oven, a sugar syrup flavored with rose or orange blossom water is poured over it.