Story & tradition

History of Palestinian Cuisine: Where Our Shawarma Comes From

Shawarma wasn't invented yesterday, and it wasn't invented by a fast-food chain. It has centuries of history behind it.

A spread of Palestinian dishes

Palestinian cuisine is part of the broader Levantine culinary tradition, a region spanning Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan that shares techniques and ingredients developed over centuries: slow roasting on a vertical spit, generous use of spices like cumin and za'atar, and a strong culture of sharing food at the table.

Where shawarma comes from

The technique of slow-roasting meat on a rotating vertical spit is documented in the 19th-century Ottoman Levant, and spread through the region with local variations from there. What's called "shawarma" in Palestine today takes its character from region-specific spices — a blend that typically includes cumin, cardamom, allspice, and a citrus touch — and from the custom of marinating the meat far longer than other regional variants.

Ingredients that define the Palestinian table

A living tradition, now in Valencia and Madrid

La Shawermeria was founded by a team of young Palestinians who wanted to bring that real tradition to Spain, without flattening it into a generic "Middle Eastern food" version. Every dish on our menu — shawarma, falafel, loaded fries, baklava — follows that same line: recipes with real roots, not a formula invented to fit a standard kebab-shop menu.

Taste a tradition centuries in the making, made fresh today.

Order now