Palestinian you should know: Reem Assil

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.

A renowned chef and owner of Reem’s California in the Bay Area, Reem Assil’s advice is to “Double down on Palestine in the face of backlash.” That is exactly what she did in 2017 when she was bombarded with death threats, trolled and doxxed online, and faced a coordinated attack designed to drive her restaurant’s rating to one star. 

In this case, the Zionist backlash backfired and the free press led to Reem’s California being named a Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year in 2018 and a must for anyone looking for a taste of Palestine in San Franscisco.

Assil joined the Palestine in America podcast to discuss her experiences in the food industry, why she focuses on Palestinian dishes and why musakhan is her “hands down” favorite. 

Where in Palestine are you from?

My grandmother was born in Yafa and was exiled to Gaza during the 1948 Nakba, where she met and married my grandfather in Gaza. 

Explain your family's history. 

My grandmother's family became refugees in Gaza and many got split up during the 1948 takeover [by] Zionist militia. My grandfather was from a prominent family who owned many businesses including textile, citrus, and car dealerships, and fell in love with her when they were quite young. Their courtship was one of true love and they married young. In 1967, when my mother was about 8, they got word from Egyptian forces that Israel was going to invade Gaza, and [her family] decided to cross the borders to Lebanon to lay low to avoid the violence. Unfortunately, they were never able to return and had to settle in Beirut. All of my grandfather's assets were seized and their home stolen. He was forced to rebuild for his family in the midst of a violent Lebanese Civil War, in which Palestinians were seen as a threat. In my cookbook Arabiyya, there is a full story about their journey. 

When were you acutely aware of your Palestinian identity?

I don't have a particular first memory except for being in the car and talking to my uncle about being Palestinian. I remember as a child asking him why we even try to fight when the odds are so stacked against us. I do remember the news and how unfair it was at such a young age, and he said that we continue keeping the fight for Palestine alive so that our children will know they are Palestinian and where they come from. I remember this vividly, along with going to Palestinian concerts and seeing my uncles with other activist friends in the concert halls of Boston.  

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

Absolutely. Up until the age of 12, I never said I was Palestinian. I grew up in a small white suburb with a large Jewish population, and for a very long time I would almost rather experience racism of the different ethnic identities I was confused for than to admit that I was Palestinian. The media at that time was filled with images of suicide bombers and violence in the region without any depiction of Palestinians as other than "unreasonable" in the peace process. I wanted to blend in and not be ostracized or thought of as the "backwards" images that were being depicted of Palestinians. When people asked me where I was from when I did admit to being Arab, I'd always say Lebanon because that was viewed as more "Western" and thus more approachable. 

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

Food is one of the central ways we connect to the land and the way we survive. Arab foodways are rooted in the culture of Arab Hospitality, which is central to our survival and humanity. For Palestinians, food becomes a way we document that we exist as a people when so much around us has been stolen to fool the world into thinking we don't exist. Cooking and sharing our food become an act of resistance to the intentional campaign to sever us from our foodways. 

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

My food is really inspired by yearning to understand my lineage in the line of struggle of the generations of family who came before me. It is informed by so much more than a particular identity, though I do proudly call my food Arab to encompass the diverse places my family is from; choosing to limit food to one nation-state becomes dangerous as food evolves and changes due to migration (forced or otherwise), and the exchange of people and cultures. However, I do choose to celebrate foods that are distinctly Palestinian as a political choice and opportunity to tell the stories that are never told — not just about Palestinian resilience, but of Palestinian joy and magic. It is a political choice to do this in the face of the ongoing theft and erasure of our foodways and other cultural practices by the state of Israel in order to normalize apartheid and occupation. I choose to talk about these stories through the food as a way to reach a broader audience. 

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

In 2017, my restaurant was targeted by pro-Israeli groups from all over the country and abroad for a mural I put up of a Palestinian activist, Rasmea Odeh, who was unjustly being deported by the American government after 20-plus years of living faithfully — committed to social justice —in this country and serving her community. I was bombarded with death threats, trolled and doxxed online, and a coordinated attack was designed to drive my ratings to one star. Zionist protestors showed up to my work and harassed my workers and customers. It was a very scary part of my career. It was also a challenge to constantly keep Palestine in the forefront when other people shy away from calling your food what is, and at times unintentionally misname your food. It's a constant effort to remind them when they call it "Lebanese" (that's the go-to) because it’s safe. Obviously, I'm battling the "Israeli" food craze where they get to profit off of and claim all Palestinian dishes. That world has been tough to navigate without sounding like the angry Palestinian, but I continue to call into question and change consciousness around food appropriation and theft, even if slowly. 

What is your favorite Palestinian dish, and why?

Musakhan, hands down! Can't beat the umami of sumac braised in chicken. I like it the way my mama used to make it: shredded and wrapped in a thin tortilla, baked and eaten with oil drizzling down my arms.  

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

Obviously the man'oushe because za'atar is magical, and bread is life. 

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

When elders come up to me and thank me for putting Palestinians on the American culinary map and for being bold about it (and then joke they wouldn't have had the guts to do it!). When people say my man'oushe brings them to tears because it is such a reminder of home. 

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

Double down on Palestine in the face of backlash. You will be better for it. When I chose not to shy away from my story, I became whole, and it gave me the strength to be successful. My haters gave me more press than they hurt me, and that ultimately gave me an opportunity to share with Americans what Palestinians (especially women) struggle with to lead with their identity. There are people really yearning to understand Palestinians and our foodways; give them a chance to learn it in the way that is most authentic to yourself. Also, make it accessible! None of this “there is only one kind of maklouba” nonsense. Every Palestinian has their own way of expressing themselves, so express freely!

What's your most controversial food take?

Not so much a fan of mansaf. It feels good at the moment of eating it, but I regret it for days after.