But Jamal is not just a pretty face; he is a hard worker, a really nice guy, and a great salesman too.
Start with the colorful display of hookahs and the equally bright selection of tobacco in tropical flavors such as watermelon and mango. For gourmands, there's an entire aisle of spices you already know — cumin, cinnamon, and cloves — and others you may not have heard of, like za’atar, sumac, and baharat. Then there is the usual Middle Eastern fare: cookies, sweets, dried fruits, beans, pickles, frozen foods, and even shampoo.
Head to the back of the store for the refrigerated goodies, including creamy white cheeses, such as labneh, feta, and haloumi. Along the way, you will pass an assortment of olives, turshi (pickled vegetables), and fresh savory pies known as fatayer, fluffy pita-like triangles stuffed with ground meat, spinach, or cheese.
“These [Middle Eastern empanadas] are typical snacks made at home,” Jamal explains, referring to his mother’s birthplace of Silwad, a Palestinian town adjacent to Ramallah. The meat filling is prepared with a popular Arab spice mixture called “seven spices.”
When asked to list the seven spices, his brother, Suleiman, chimes in: “Let’s see: there’s cloves, white pepper, sweet pepper, cumin, cloves, red pepper, paprika, and cumin. This is a base spice commonly used in many Arab dishes.”
There are huge glass jugs and cans of olive oil from Lebanon, Turkey, and the West Bank. It is a rich, green color with an incomparable robust and fruity flavor that puts Greek and Italian olive oil to shame. “Once you try this one, you’ll be hooked,” Jamal says, matter-of-factly. “We know someone with land in Ramallah who grows his olives and makes oil. He ships it here and sells it to us.”
Their dedicated work ethic has helped the brothers as well.
The oldest of eight boys, the brothers left their parents and siblings behind, seeking a better quality of life. Suleiman first went to Canada, while Jamal headed to South Florida, where they had relatives. He began as a store clerk in a small grocery store.
The brothers are close knit and humble. They are grateful for the opportunities offered to them in the United States and stress the importance of honest, hard work. “Our 18-hour workdays eventually paid off,” Suleiman says.