HEBRON: A dozen men are standing and waiting at the door of Khalil Al-Rahman bakery, a famous shop that sells qidra in Hebron, to receive their perfectly prepared traditional, delectable dish.
Qidra is the most important meal of the feast served to friends and relatives at all important occasions; it is present at weddings, Ramadan and other special occasions. It is one of the most important and oldest traditional dishes from Hebron that has ben passed down from one generation to another.
Saqr Abu Sunaina, a cook at Khalil Al-Rahman bakery, said: “Friday is the day of qidra. Dozens of families do not cook in their homes but rather bring meat or chicken, and we prepare the qidra for them, so they take it after their Friday prayers to their homes and on their picnics.”
The restaurant is responsible for sourcing other ingredients like rice and spices such as salt, turmeric and ghee. The dish is cooked in an oven made of salt, sand and white dirt, which is not easy to make or available in homes.
Abu Sunaina said: “The demand for qidra increases in the month of Ramadan as everyone is exhausted and tired because of fasting so they are looking for ready and delicious food, and qidra is the solution, and all they have to do is bring meat or chicken only.”
The cook said that most people only cooked soup in their homes during Ramadan, and for rich food they preferred to have it prepared from outside.
Among those waiting for qidra in front of the bakery was 53-year-old Muhammad Al-Natsheh. “I am here waiting for two qidra dishes, one with meat and one with chicken, for Ramadan dinner as I am inviting about 30 of my brothers, sisters and their children in.”
Although qidra is a traditional food from Hebron, people living in other Palestinian areas have different methods of preparing it.
There are many stories surrounding the origin of qidra in Hebron. Some attribute it the Qasrawi family while others say it came from the Abu Sunaina family, two of the oldest families in Hebron. Some sources also attribute its origins to the Ottomans.
