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Food from Palestine is bittersweet. “People feel things never get better in the region,” says Heather Masoud, co-founder of Zaytoun, a social enterprise that brings olive oil, maftoul, freekeh and other products from the West Bank (zaytoun is the Arabic word for olive). “There’s a rich culinary heritage which is pleasurable to talk about instead of elements of conflict. It’s a nice way to support people having a tough time.”

Masoud has been supporting Palestinian farmers since 2004, bridging the gap between this extraordinary but inaccessible market and the UK, where demand has surged. The Fairtrade organisation has imported 170 tons of olive oil for wholesale since then, buoyed by factors including mainstream demand, “the Ottolenghi phenomenon” and Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith groups ordering the oil for their places of worship and to sell at local stalls as part of a message of inter-faith peace promotion.

Freekeh, a green-tinged grain, has long been an unsung superfood. It’s full of protein, nutty and easy to cook but was hard to find until Zaytoun stepped in. It’s burned before it matures, which locks in nutrients.

“It was discovered by accident — when farm granaries were set on fire people tried to salvage their crops, only to find it tasted really good,” says Masoud. Traditionally, it’s eaten as a soup but in the UK it’s used in a more diverse spread, from salads to pilaf to stuffing. “The layer of smokiness adds interest, we have a festive freekeh stuffing recipe going out,” says Masoud.

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The maftoul is “bulgar hand-rolled into flour and water, steamed, then served with stew, meat and squash, tomato sauce, chickpeas and onions,” says Masoud, while dates are also in demand. “People have them in their pocket when cycling or running, for the iron and minerals as well as sugar.” Raw veganists are using dates for “chocolate brownies and sweets”, while the Medjool date is a very “caramelesque standalone, more of a dessert treat”.

Every harvest season Zaytoun invites farmers from Palestine to the UK to meet customers. “People get a lot out of seeing where produce is coming from,” says Masoud. “The West Bank is characterised by the olive — it’s in everything from cooking to poetry to folklore. In different times the olive oil travelled further and wider than it does now.” This, at least, is a step in the right direction.