Palestinian you should know: Danny Dubbaneh

The following was originally published in Palestine in America’s print Food Edition. Please consider subscribing or purchasing individual individual print and or digital copies.

Three Palestinian brothers—Ronnie, Johnny and Danny Dubbaneh—opened Z&Z in 2016. Before opening their bakery, their family began serving za’atar manaeesh (a traditional Middle Eastern flatbread topped with za'atar mixed with olive oil and fresh veggies) at Foggy Bottom farmer’s market in Washington, D.C.

The Middle Eastern food company’s name is a play on zayt and za’atar, which is a staple of the Palestinian breakfast.

Danny, who joined our podcast to answer some questions for the Palestine in America Food Edition, says he wants customers to have an experience when they visit his family’s bakery. He also gave us insight into his Palestinian identity, his relationship with Palestinain food, and why cultural preservation is so important to him.

Palestine in America: Where in Palestine are you from?

Danny Dubbaneh: My dad’s side of the family is from Jaffa, and my mom's side of the family goes back to Nazareth.

PiA: Explain your family's history. Were they exiled? Where did your parents and grandparents grow up?

DD: During the Nakba in 1948, my dad’s family fled Jaffa for Ramallah, where my dad was born in 1958. They eventually went to Iraq then back to Ramallah and finally to Amman, Jordan for work before coming to the U.S. in 1980. A few generations before my mom was born, her family left Nazareth for Jordan and eventually settled and expanded there.

PiA: When were you acutely aware of your Palestinian identity?

DD: I don’t remember when I was first acutely aware of my Palestinian identity, but I do vividly remember the first time we stepped off the bus in Jaffa and feeling home.

PiA: Did you ever feel you had to hide your identity? Why or why not?

DD: Growing up, we were always trying to blend in and be like everyone else. But our zayt & za’atar sandwiches at the lunch table betrayed us. It wasn’t until we were older and started to learn about our family history, the resilience of our people, and the significance of our heritage that we became proudly Palestinian.

PiA: Why do you think food is so important for our cultural preservation?

DD: Food is a manifestation of culture, and a literal imprint of survival. These recipes had to survive being passed down from generation to generation to be with us today. This is why it’s so important for us to keep making these foods and to make sure we keep the connection with our culture alive.

For so many immigrants, food is one of the only things left that connects us with our culture. When you leave a place, language and recipes are often the two most powerful things you take with you. Without food, you lose a big ability to connect with your identity. Food is one of the few ways to regularly express and engage with our connection to Palestine. 

PiA: When did you begin to cook, and why did you decide to focus on Palestinian food vs just Middle Eastern or Arab?

DD: We thought it was very important to highlight Palestinian food specifically instead of cooking under the larger “Middle Eastern” or ever-ubiquitous “Mediterranean” banner. At some level, it was just obvious. We were using Palestinian ingredients and making Palestinian food; why shouldn’t we call it Palestinian?

PiA: What challenges have you faced in your career as a Palestinian chef?

DD:I think the largest challenge in running a Palestinian food business is that what should be an afterthought ― simply stating an ingredient's country of origin — has to become a strategic decision.

PiA: What is your favorite Palestinian dish, and why?

DD: I have to say maqluba. Any time I was away from home for a long period of time, this is the dish my mom would prepare for me when I first returned. A close second has to be the msakhan our aunt Randa made for us the first time we visited Ramallah. That’s a meal I’ll never forget.

PiA: What is your favorite dish from your restaurant, and why?

DD: My favorite dish from our restaurant is our specialty: the classic za’atar manoushe. It’s what we grew up on, and it's absolutely elegant in its simplicity. Beyond that, it’s iconic in the Middle East, and the main ingredient, za’atar, is culturally symbolic and reminds so many people of home. I could talk about the importance of za’atar for hours.

PiA: What has been the best reaction from customers to your food?

DD: I think the most amazing reaction from a customer to our food was a woman who broke down in tears when she stumbled upon our farmer’s market stand in Washington, D.C. She had left her home in Lebanon and hadn’t seen a manoushe in years. When she found us, it flooded her with so many memories and feelings of home. It was something incredible to experience and represents just how integral food is to someone’s identity. Making people feel at home through our food is exactly what drives us to keep doing what we’re doing.

PiA: Food as a form of resistance — explain your thoughts on this concept.

DD: When we visited my dad’s hometown of Jaffa, we had the pleasure of meeting a village elder there who told us that as long as you keep Palestine in your heart and on your lips, it will live forever. Because Palestinian food frequently gets mischaracterized or goes unnamed, just honoring its rich roots and the people who make it by rightful attribution can be a form of resistance.

PiA: What advice do you have for someone looking to launch a Palestinian food business?

DD: Be proud and unwavering in claiming the origins of your food and embrace the challenges that come with it. You’ll have to deal with and overcome obstacles that others don’t, but it’s rewarding when you see how much it means to other Palestinian in the diaspora and how vital it is to have as much Palestinian representation as possible. 

PiA: What's your most controversial food take?

DD: I don’t think this is controversial, but just because it has chickpeas in it doesn’t mean you can call it hummus.