Syrian cuisine

Syrian cooking is among the oldest in the Levant: bulgur, olive oil, sumac, pomegranate and a great many mezze.

Before the war Aleppo was considered the culinary capital of the Arab world, and its cooking — Aleppo pepper, pomegranate molasses, kibbeh in dozens of forms — remains the regional benchmark.

Acidity comes from sumac, lemon and pomegranate molasses rather than vinegar. Each works differently: sumac is astringent, pomegranate sweet-sour, lemon sharp.