Egypt Culture Website Implies It’s Only Cultural Appropriation When Jews Do It
David Lange
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Cairo Scene, a popular website dealing with “the people, places and movements shaping Egypt today,” have a piece on a new Palestinian street food restaurant in Cairo called Hummus and Go.
The piece seems to contains a thinly veiled jab at Israel for so-called cultural appropriation of hummus:
Since it opened its doors, suhoor at Palestinian street food spot Hummus and Go has become as integral to Ramadan tradition as Amr Diab collabbing with Vodafone and Esseily with Bank Misr for yearly adverts. The spot remixes the classic hummus, a traditional treat constantly undergoing the threat of cultural theft, in all the shades: basil, red pepper, beetroot and Avocado – if you can dream it, they can hummus it.
But as I have explained before, the earliest known recipes of hummus seeming to have originated in Egypt.
Ergo, if Israel it to be accused of “culturally appropriating” hummus, then so should the palestinian Arabs.
But the jab is even more ridiculous when you think about the fact Cairo Scene mentioned it in the same breath as this palestinian Arab restaurant “remixing” class hummus.
Not only that, but the piece goes on to say:
Besides the within-belly masterpieces you can create with only hummus at the tip of your paintbrush (in which case is a classic Wedn Otta), Hummus and Go serves you miles of foul, falafel – the *actual* Palestinian type – and traditional shakshuka for a suhoor that checks all the boxes.
Falafel also seems to have originated in Egypt by the way.
In other words, Cairo Scene seems to be suggesting that palestinian Arabs should be able to take an Egyptian-originated dish, put a spin on it, and not only not be accused of cultural appropriation, but have their version referred to as “Palestinian.” Those pesky Jews on the other hand…
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David Lange
