Syrian cooking is very sophisticated and subtle. It's the food of the Levant, that area of fertile land between the Eastern Mediterranean and the drier desert areas further south and east. There are Arabic and Ottoman influences and many of the classic dishes have become famous around the world - hummus, tabbouleh, baklava etc. In general the seasonings for the food of this area are light and restrained, the fresh ingredients are allowed to shine and spices and seasonings are added for depth and fragrance, never to dominate.

I spent a few days in Damascus which as the political and religious centre of the country was interesting, but the main attraction for me was the city of Aleppo in the north. Aleppo was a major trading centre on the ancient routes between Europe and Asia and apparently is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. 

the Souk in Aleppo

It seems like Syria somehow missed the industrialisation that changed so many old cities around the world, and consequently the city centres there retain a genuine 'old-world' feel. In many other parts of the Middle East the souks and markets feel a bit stale and seem to cater exclusively for tourists, or they sell the cheapest goods to poor locals as the middle classes shop in supermarkets and shopping malls like anywhere else in the world. In Syria everybody still seems to use these ancient markets every day so they still feel alive and a core part of life in the city.

Aleppo is a much earthier city than Damascus. The souk there dates back to the 13th century and compared to many others in North Africa and the Middle East, the one in Aleppo is the most complete and atmospheric I've ever seen. In parts it feels almost ridiculously historic - over there's a 13th century gateway, to the side maybe a bit of wall left from a Roman temple with a kid kicking a football against it, a crumbling building constructed by the Crusaders and all sorts of narrow, incredibly ancient alleyways to explore.  

All around the Middle East the spice shops tend to be grouped together in a single area that caters for cooks, but the same shops often sell dried fruits, nuts, perfumes, herbal remedies and all sorts of other aromatics as well. Arabs seem to be particularly interested in perfumes, aromatics and natural remedies and the spice seller should be able to advise on what to add to your cooking, how to cure your stomach ache and maybe if you're lucky even give you something to enhance your performance in the bedroom! (so i'm told....) The shops all sell a similar range of dried herbs and spices but the really interesting blend for me was the local za'atar. In the rest of the region za'atar is a simple blend of dried za'atar herb (like thyme), sesame, salt and maybe some sumac and is used either on the table with olive oil as a dip for bread, or sprinkled over flatbreads and baked to make manakish. In Aleppo they make a  more complex red za'atar that's sold in huge piles all layered up with the different coloured ingredients. It contains all sorts of different ingredients as well as the standard thyme, sesame and sumac, but regular additions seem to be cumin, coriander, maybe some aniseed, a bit of allspice and likely many other ingredients in smaller quantities.

Spice shop in the souk, Aleppo

Za'atar that's mixed into a paste with olive oil, spread onto flatbreads then baked is a really popular snack and it's something that's really easy to make at home - you can make it with shop bought pita breads, just be fairly generous with the za'atar paste and pop it under the grill for a couple of minutes. The food in Aleppo is incredibly good, there are influences from the Ottomans, Armenians, Kurds, even the Romans and the key ingredient is usually the famous Aleppo chilli flakes(an ingredient that should be in every kitchen!). Unusually for the Middle East, the food is often fairly spicy and highly seasoned with these chilli flakes, particularly the kebabs which the city is renowned for. The flakes are either mixed into the meat before cooking or they also make a delicious tomato based sauce seasoned with sumac and lots of Aleppo flakes to serve with the meat. There are also unique local specialities such as kebabs in sour cherry sauce flavoured with cinnamon, Urfa kebabs and really good kibbeh (minced lamb rolled into torpedo shapes with bulghur wheat and pine nuts then deep-fried). The cooking is often pretty carnivorous but Aleppo is definitely one of the greatest food cities of the Middle East - unfortunately I don't have any photos so you'll have to take my word for it! It's very sad to see the destruction of the civil war currently happening in Aleppo but once the fighting stops and you ever get a chance to visit the city, it's highly recommended.

p.s. If you ever need a driver there – this is the guy you want to get in touch with. The man is a legend!