The Syrian Breakfast: Ful, Hummus, Fatteh and Manakish — What to Order
A guide to Syrian breakfast: ful medames, hummus, fatteh and msabbaha, manakish and ka'ak, labneh, za'atar and olives, morning tea — and how to order in a ful shop.
In this article
Breakfast in Syria is not a quick meal but a ritual. On a day off the family gathers around many small plates, warm bread serves as the spoon, and the tea never stops. On working days people queue at the ful shop before work. This is what you will find on the table.
The ful shop: the heart of a popular breakfast
- Ful medames: fava beans cooked slowly for hours, lightly mashed and dressed with lemon, garlic, olive oil and cumin.
- Hummus with tahini: smooth as cream, with olive oil and paprika.
- Msabbaha: warm whole chickpeas with tahini and lemon, lighter and richer than mashed hummus.
- Fatteh: toasted bread at the bottom of the bowl, chickpeas and garlicky yoghurt with tahini on top, then hot ghee or oil with pine nuts. Chickpea fatteh is the classic Damascus Friday breakfast.
Order "a plate of ful and a plate of msabbaha" with bread and the vegetable plate — tomato, mint, spring onion, radish and pickles. That is a full breakfast for two or three.
The bakery: manakish and ka'ak
- Za'atar manakish: thin dough with olive oil and a mix of thyme, sumac and sesame.
- Cheese manakish and muhammara manakish with red pepper.
- Ka'ak: sesame bread rings sold from carts in the morning, sometimes with a boiled egg and za'atar.
The family table
At home you will also find labneh with olive oil, white cheese and shanklish (an aged cheese rolled in thyme and chilli), all kinds of olives, and makdous — baby aubergines stuffed with walnut and red pepper and preserved in oil. It all ends with black tea in small glasses, sometimes with sage.
Where to have it
The old quarters of Damascus are full of ful shops that open at dawn, and many courtyard-house hotels serve a Syrian breakfast in the courtyard. If you enjoy it, read our meze guide and Syrian home cooking.
- When
- From dawn until about 11 am
- Friday dish
- Chickpea fatteh
- To share
- Order several small plates
- Drink
- Sweet black tea
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