Even though it’s known for its grapes, because the area is religious and mostly Muslim, wine isn’t produced there, but some wineries, like Taybeh Winery, use Hebron’s grapes to make some of their wines. However, the grapes of Hebron shine in many of the local traditional desserts that originate from there and are native to the city. So, what are these desserts, you may ask?
I wanted to start the list with the star of Hebron’s sweets: Khabeesa: Khabeesa is a semolina based dessert that’s cooked with ghee, sugar, and grape molasses. Imagine if polenta and jelly had a baby, that’s how I’d describe the texture, it is soft, glossy, and a little grainy. Second: Malban This is basically a fruit leather made of grape. It’s made by thickening grape juice with starch. It reminds me a of a grown up version of a Roll Up.
Third: A’antabeek This is Hebron’s version of a grape jam. The grapes are squeezed, and the skins are left in while the mixture is cooked for several hours to create this grape jam/coli. Fourth: Dibis This is basically grape molasses. The fifth, we saved for last since it’s not exactly a dessert: Mkhalal Husrum Mkhalal Husrum is more of a preserved or pickled grape dish. Husrum refers to sour, unripe grapes, These grapes are pickled in salt or vinegar, creatinf a tangy yummy condiment.
