Against that reality, it seems like there has been a boom in the amount of Palestinian olive oil options available in America, as second-generation immigrants and Palestinian farming collectives market their family’s ancient product for a new generation. These oils continue to center Palestinian identity by insisting on naming the country instead of opting for the vaguer “Middle Eastern” or “Levantine.” And they draw customers both into the history of olive oil in Palestine, and toward its future.
The diversity of landscape across Palestine means no two oils taste the same — there is a Palestinian olive oil that fits any occasion. Here, we present four to round out your pantry.
The oil to rival (or even replace) Graza: Huwa
Despite its cheeky modern packaging, Huwa is a family business with a strong history. The oil comes solely from founder Bilal Othman Huwaoushi’s uncle’s farm in Aqraba, while the distribution is done by three Huwaoushi siblings here in the U.S. The farm is located in the West Bank near the Jordan Valley, which Huwaoushi tells Eater is why it has such an astringent, peppery kick that builds on the palate. Still, Huwa is mild enough to work as a general purpose oil in cooking and baking. It also comes in a squeeze bottle — no, not the Sriracha-like bottle taking over so much olive oil packaging, but a plump, playful thing with a sleek, modern spout, perfect for drizzling over salads or into frying pans.
Al’Ard’s extra virgin olive oil comes from a combination of rumi and nabali olive trees, and is available in a variety of sizes depending on how much oil you find yourself consuming regularly. It smells of herbs and tastes powerfully green, making it the kind of oil less suited to cooking and more amenable to testing out alongside other flavors. It’s ripe for pairing on a cheese plate or drizzled into a creamy soup, or perhaps drenched into a thick focaccia scattered with za’atar.
