RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Spicy stuffed squid and roasted watermelon salad are among the unexpected culinary delights of the Gaza Strip, a densely populated seaside sliver of land that that has been choked by Israeli border blockades and battered by wars.

The territory’s hidden gourmet treasures have been detailed in “The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey,” a new cookbook showcasing a unique, fiery variation of Mediterranean-style cuisine kept alive despite food shortages and poverty.

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