With its vibrant flavors and mouthwatering dishes, Levantine cuisine has been getting plenty of international recognition as of late.
While this means our delicacies have fallen victim to some atrocities (chocolate hummus, really?) and that culture thieves (AKA Israel) have attempted to take credit for our culinary gems, it also means our cuisine is receiving the appreciation it deserves.
Levantine cuisine has made it all the way to Western movie sets, with Australian actress Ruby Rose Langenheim being the latest celebrity to testify to the exquisite quality of our culinary staples.
Commonly known as Ruby Rose, the actress, model, and television presenter first grabbed global attention for her role as Stella Carlin in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (OITNB). Since appearing on OITNB, Rose has landed several sizable roles in Hollywood, starring in Pitch Perfect 3, John Wick: Chapter 2, and The Meg.
On Thursday, Rose posted a photo of stuffed vine leaves (known as warak enab in Arabic) on her Instagram story. She explained that she used to eat the dish everyday while filming her last movie.
"Move over pasta! It's vine leaves and hummus month," she added.
On Friday, which marked Rose's first day of filming what is believed to be the new Batwoman series, she shared another photo of a vine leaves dish with a filter featuring hearts all over.
She went on to post a video in which she said, "For everyone who said they don't like these (vine leaves), you just haven't had a good one," explaining that the vine leaves should be juicy rather than dry.
While Rose did not specify what film she is working on, she is reportedly filming the Batwoman series in Vancouver, Canada. The CW network series will feature Rose as the main character Kate Kane/Batwoman, DC Comics' first-ever lesbian superhero.
"I can't speak on behalf of everyone in the LGBTIQ community, but I know any win for anyone in our community is a win for all," Rose, who came out as a lesbian at the age of 12 and now identifies as gender-fluid, told TV Week.
Here's the first look at Ruby Rose as Batwoman
She's guaranteed to do a great job if she's fueled by Levantine cuisine. Sahtein!