something that a Muslim or Arab
and someone Jewish — it shouldn’t be
something unusual,” Alsaadi said.

Th at philosophy is refl ected in their
food. Falafel isn’t something people
usually make in their homes, Alsaadi
said. It’s frequently bought at restau-
rants and stands, which means the
variations on the food are endless.

In the greater debate about whether
or not falafel is even an Israeli food,
Alsaadi shuts down dissenters.

Food variations abound in the
Middle East, with diff erent takes on
falafel existing even within regions of
Syria, Alsaadi said.

It’s a food defi ned by the region of
the Middle East, not a particular coun-
try. It’s an Israeli food because people
in Israel eat it. It’s a Palestinian and
Lebanese food, too.

Food can link an individual to a geo-
graphic area, which is both personal to
someone with memories of a specifi c
dish, and communal, with individuals
all over a region fi nding joy in a shared
cuisine. “Instead of making it a diff erence, it
should bring people together,” Alsaadi
said. JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com From left: Partners Mouhanad Kabbani, Omar Alsaadi
and Howard Klayman at Pita Chip’s new location in
Yardley Courtesy of Pita Chip
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