Laila el Hadad

Laila El-Haddad heading to Australia

Acclaimed international chef and author of The Gaza Kitchen Laila El-Haddad coming to Australia.

El-Haddad is the author of The Gaza Kitchen, one of the only political histories of Gazan cuisine and Palestinian cuisine generally, tracking down century old recipes being used today, and showcasing them to the world through the stories of life in Palestine.

“Often, the only way to explore the history of true history of Gaza is through its food,” she said.

“This is a place that the Silk Road passed through, so it is a unique intersection of the spices of the east with the traditions of the Middle East. It’s quite unique. And since 1948 with the dislocation of so many people from Gaza, the food history was dispersed. There’s a lot of Palestinians who are passionate about food, and there was a smattering of books out there, but there was nothing about southern Palestine, the Gaza-area.

Read the full article at Open House.

You can also listen to an interview on Travel Writers Radio about Laila El-Haddad’s impending visit.