Arabic Kitchen Ruleset for Dummies
Hiba Ghannam
After Natasha Saje
Wear an apron, your least favorite.
Now put on the lovely one,
for together we they absorb more.
Bring a lemon. Cut it in half. Use one half-
and place the other in the fridge door.
Do not ask why! Just do it.
When the Heinz Ketchup is empty, do not throw it away.
Clean it thoroughly with water and soap.
Then, pour olive oil in it.
Never try it with the Osem Ketchup bottle.
You can thank me later.
In a small plate, add Zaatar (you’ll find it in the Nesquik box).
In a separate bowl, add olive oil from the Heinz bottle.
Place them on the table.
Who needs flowers in a vase?
Optional: In a plate pour Qizha.
Add 1 Tbsp of honey.
Mix together and put it next to the Zaatar.
If you see lots of plastic bags in the fridge,
know that there is a box of chocolate behind them.
P.S: Don’t ask your mom about it.
Remember, the crystal glass set
is not for personal use.
I repeat for guests only.
Don’t get excited when you see
a chocolate box in the room.
If it had any chocolate in it,
you would have found it in the fridge.
Hiba Ghannam, a 23-year-old Arab woman, grew up in Jatt; a small village in the Triangle area of the Haifa District. She received her first degree in 2018 in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Beit-Berl College in Kfar Sava. Two years after, she received her Master’s degree in English Literature with emphasis on Creative Writing in Poetry (Shaindy Rudoff Program) at Bar-Ilan University. She currently studies Graphic Design at Al-Qasimi College in Baqa Alghrabiyye.