The Canon

Daqqa Ghazzawiyya

دقة غزاويةar

Also: Gazan dagga, Dagga, Gaza salad

A fiery Gazan relish of tomatoes and hot green peppers pounded in a clay mortar with dill seed, garlic, and olive oil.

Identity criteria

  1. 1Pounded (not chopped) in a traditional clay mortar called a zibdiyya
  2. 2Built on tomatoes and hot green chilli peppers
  3. 3Distinctively scented with dill seed, the Gazan signature
  4. 4Dressed with garlic, lemon, and olive oil
  5. 5Served raw and fresh as a spicy relish or salad-condiment

Components

Base

TomatoesessentialThe bulk of the relish.

Aromatics

Garlicessential

Fat

Olive oilessential

Acid

Lemon juiceoptional

Seasoning

Hot green chilli peppersessentialGives the characteristic fieriness.

Dill seedessentialThe defining Gazan aromatic.

Technique

Pounding in a zibdiyya (clay mortar)
Crushing rather than chopping releases juices and melds the flavours into the proper rough, saucy texture.
Raw preparation
Kept uncooked so the tomatoes and chilli stay bright and sharp.

Form & serving

Served
In a shallow bowl, scooped with bread or alongside grilled food
Temperature
ambient
Portion
A few spoonfuls as a relish
Pairs with
Flatbread · Grilled fish · Rice · Maftoul

Character

Flavour

spicytangyherbaceousgarlicky

Texture

Rough, juicy, coarsely pounded relish

Eaten

An everyday Gazan table relish eaten with bread and grilled food, valued for its heat and fragrance.

When

summer · all-year

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • Extra-hot dagga · Gaza

    Loaded with chillies for intense heat.

  • Dagga with crab · Gaza coast

    Coastal versions fold in seafood.

Related dishes

  • sibling Dukkah

    A different Egyptian dry spice mix sharing a similar pounded-name root, not the same dish.

  • pairs-with Grilled fish

    A classic Gazan coastal pairing.

Substitutions

  • Pounding in a mortar → Brief mashing by handadmissible

    Acceptable when no zibdiyya is available, keeping the rough texture.

  • Dill seed → Fresh dill leaf onlyinadmissible

    The seed's distinctive aroma is the Gazan signature; dropping it loses the dish's identity.

Common mistakes

  • Finely chopping instead of pounding, losing the juicy meld
  • Omitting dill seed, the Gazan signature flavour
  • Cooking the relish, which dulls its fresh sharpness
  • Under-seasoning the heat, which is central to the dish

Provenance

A signature relish of the Gaza Strip in Palestinian cuisine, prized for its heat and dill-seed perfume.

References

  1. 1.Palestinian Gazan culinary tradition
  2. 2.Levantine foodways references

Confidence: high