Syrian Jewish cuisine reflects Jewish traditions, the surrounding Levantine culture, and the varied historical roots of Syrian Jewry. The cuisine of the native Mustaʿarabim (Arabized Jews), the foundational element of Syrian Jewish cookery, was heavily influenced by the general foodways of the region. Sephardi influences were introduced after the expulsions from Spain in 1492 and from Portugal and Sicily in 1497. An additional culinary component was introduced by the Francos (Jews mainly from Livorno, but also from Venice and elsewhere) beginning in the late seventee…