Food and Arabic phrases

Syrian food is part of the wider Levantine kitchen. A meal often starts with mezze, a spread of small dishes eaten with flatbread. Many mezze are vegetarian, such as hummus, mutabbal, muhammara, fattoush and stuffed vine leaves (yalanji). Kibbeh, a mix of bulgur and minced meat, is considered a national dish of Syria and Lebanon.

Aleppo is known for its kibbeh (it 'can lay claim to at least 17 types', and a 1971 Aleppo encyclopedia lists 58), including kibbeh with quince (safarjaliyeh), for kebab halabi with tomato sauce and Aleppo pepper, and for muhammara, a red-pepper and walnut dip. Hama and Homs both claim halawet el-jibn, a sweet cheese-and-semolina roll filled with cream. Homs is also known for halaweh homsiyyeh. We found no reliable source for specific coastal or Damascene dishes, so they are not listed here.

Vegetarians can eat well from mezze, falafel, foul (fava beans) and salads. Many cooked dishes contain meat or meat stock, so ask. During Ramadan, sweets such as maarouk bread and drinks such as qamar al-din (apricot) are popular.

Typical drinks are Syrian coffee with cardamom, sweet tea served in small glasses, mate (popular in Syria), ayran (salty yogurt drink), jallab, licorice juice ('erq sous) in summer and salep in winter. Arak, an anise spirit, and local beer and wine are available in some restaurants and shops.

In Damascus, Souq al-Hamidiyah runs from al-Thawra Street to the Umayyad Mosque inside the old city walls; it has food stalls, cafés and ice-cream parlours as well as clothes and crafts. Bakdash, a long-established ice-cream parlour in Damascus, is known for stretchy booza with mastic. Haggling is normal in souqs (Wikivoyage).

Hummus (حمص)

Chickpeas mashed with tahini, lemon, garlic and olive oil as of October 2026

Mutabbal / baba ghanoush (متبل / بابا غنوج)

Smoky mashed aubergine; mutabbal has tahini as of October 2026

Muhammara (محمرة)

Aleppo dip of red peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs as of October 2026

Fattoush (فتوش)

Salad with toasted or fried bread pieces as of October 2026

Fatteh (فتة)

Arabic bread topped with other ingredients; versions with meat or chicken as of October 2026

Foul (فول)

Fava-bean dish with cumin, olive oil and bread; common vegetarian meal as of October 2026

Falafel (فلافل)

Fried patties of ground chickpeas and/or fava beans as of October 2026

Kibbeh (كبة)

Bulgur and minced meat; raw (nayyeh), baked, in yogurt; Aleppo has many types as of October 2026

Kebab halabi (كباب حلبي)

Aleppo kebab with spicy tomato sauce and Aleppo pepper as of October 2026

Shakriyeh (شاكرية)

Lamb cooked in yogurt as of October 2026

Mahshi (محشي)

Courgettes or aubergines stuffed with rice, meat and nuts as of October 2026

Makdous (مكدوس)

Stuffed, pickled aubergines as of October 2026

Yalanji (يالنجي)

Vine leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables (vegetarian) as of October 2026

Manakish (مناقيش)

Topped flatbread, a street-food staple as of October 2026

Halawet el-jibn (حلاوة الجبن)

Cheese-semolina rolls with cream and syrup; Hama and Homs both claim it as of October 2026

Kanafeh (كنافة)

Shredded pastry with sweet cheese and syrup as of October 2026

Baklava (بقلاوة)

Layered nut pastry in syrup as of October 2026

Booza (بوظة)

Stretchy ice cream made with mastic as of October 2026

Syrian coffee (قهوة)

Lightly roasted, with cardamom, in small cups as of October 2026

Mate (متة)

Hot yerba-mate infusion, popular in Syria as of October 2026

Jallab (جلاب)

Fruit-syrup drink, served cold or warm as of October 2026

Arak (عرق)

Anise-flavoured grape spirit as of October 2026

Sources:

• Wikivoyage – Syria
• Wikipedia – Syrian cuisine
• Wikipedia – Halawet el jibn
• Wikipedia – Kibbeh
• Wikipedia – Muhammara
• Wikipedia – Al-Hamidiyah Souq