It is much thinner and larger than the 'Iraqi pita-style laffa' sold at the shuk and at Israeli restaurants, which reminds me of the Yemenite saluf that my mother-in-law used to make in her home in Givatayim and of the Indian flatbread, naan. The bread was similar to the one I know from northern Israel. Israelis in Los Angeles were delighted to finally be able to get their beloved bread, which is also known in Israel as Iraqi pita and, in Jerusalem, as esh tanoor.Ī Los Angeles Lebanese restaurant, Cafe du Liban, started to use the term laffa on its menu to refer to its saj bread, which is sometimes called Druse pita. The LA laffa vogue began recently when a number of trendy Israeli restaurants began to offer it. Wrap sandwiches are gaining in popularity in the West thanks not only to Middle Easterners, but also to Mexicans, who use their corn and flour tortillas to make tacos and burritos. In southern California there is not only a significant Israeli population, but also a large number of Persians, Armenians and Arabs, all of whom have brought their own favorite flatbread varieties. Wheat originated here, and bread began as flatbread, which remains the dominant bread in the region.

The Middle East has a long history of making bread. The word laffa is of Arabic origin, but there is a similar-sounding word in Hebrew ( lipuf) which also means to wrap, or to twist around. Like felafel before it, laffa is being popularized by Israeli eateries just as blintzes and latkes were by European Jews. The latest stylish 'Jewish' food loved by Angelenos is laffa, the fresh, Middle Eastern flatbread used for wraps or rolled sandwiches. NOTE! Consider delaying until first div on page If (slot) slot.addService(googletag.pubads()) (function (a, d, o, r, i, c, u, p, w, m)

Iraqi flat bread