This bibliography collates the rich body of writing, research, and other forms of documented knowledge (scholarly and otherwise) produced about Palestinian foodways — broadly conceived to include agriculture, botanical knowledge, culinary practice, and social/cultural meaning. It is a work in progress, assembled at a time when Palestinians in Gaza are living through genocide and subject to famine and starvation at the hands of the Israeli state. It highlights Palestinians’ rootedness in their homeland, attests to their steadfastness in the face of ethnic cleansing, and underscores the significance and vibrancy of a food culture threatened by deliberate attempts at erasure. We hope that it will serve as a resource to students, journalists, educators, scholars, and anyone else with an interest in understanding and advocating for Palestine through food.
The bibliography is divided into two sections. The first is divided by genre and includes lists of essays, cookbooks, film and other visual works, community-based knowledge initiatives, and scholarship. The second section features a series of thematic lists that address specific topics. These currently include: Food Sovereignty & Starvation in Gaza, Seeds of Resistance: Plants in the Palestinian Struggle and Liberatory Imagination, and Palestinian Olive Oil & Olive Cultivation. We are actively soliciting additional thematic lists to add in the future with the aim of including a wide range of fields and forms of knowledge.
The list will be updated monthly. To suggest a source for inclusion, contribute, or suggest a new thematic list, please email PalestineFoodBiblio@gmail.com.