Saif Manna Brings Palestinian Culinary Heritage to Philadelphia Through Manna Bakery

Saif Manna’s earliest memory in the kitchen is still vivid. At eight years old, perched on a stool, he carefully sautéed onions for a pasta sauce while his babysitter watched. Determined to cook for his younger brother, Yousef, Manna recalls, “Even though he spat it out in disgust, I remember the joy of transforming simple ingredients into something I could share.”

Today, Manna owns Manna Bakery, a pop-up operation he runs from his kitchen, billed on Instagram as “Philly’s first Levantine inspired Third Culture Bakery.” His early confidence stemmed from weekend mornings watching his father make pancakes and omelets. “At first, my only responsibility was eating the burnt bits,” he laughs. But gradually, he became his father’s sous chef, encouraged by praise for his egg-cracking technique and free rein in the kitchen.

Manna’s Culinary Journey: From Akka to the U.S.

Manna’s family was displaced during the Nakba from the Palestinian city of Akka and spread across the Middle East. Growing up in Dubai, he absorbed Palestinian culinary traditions during summer visits to his grandmothers—his tetas—in Jordan.

Each grandmother shaped his food philosophy differently. Teta Samira ran her kitchen like a bustling restaurant, feeding a constant stream of visitors. Her pantry overflowed with ka’ak bil tamir (date-filled biscuits) and musakhan, inspiring Manna Bakery’s signature musakhan buns. Meanwhile, Teta Siham focused on precision and elegance. “Her waraq [stuffed grape leaves] were the size of my pinkie,” he recalls. “The way she cooked was theatrical… full in the stomach and full in the soul.”

These visits intertwined culinary lessons with stories of displacement. Listening to his grandfather recount fleeing Palestine, Manna realized the power of food as a vessel for culture and identity.

In 2018, Manna moved to the United States for Temple University, pursuing tennis while his culinary passion grew. By his junior year, he started a baking business from his dorm, selling cookies that evolved into a larger enterprise. “I didn’t merely want to make food. I wanted purpose behind it,” he says.

Keeping Tradition Alive: Manna Bakery’s Culinary Mission

Manna stresses the importance of preserving traditional recipes before innovating. “Usually cuisine is stored in the land and its tetas as an archive, but when they are being destroyed and killed, people like me have to do the work to keep the cuisine alive.”

His partner, Stefaniya Surikova, witnessed his growth firsthand. They met at Temple University in 2019, bonded over food, and began collaborating on pop-ups. Early attempts were humble; he sold only eight cookies at a dorm pop-up. Within a year, his sales skyrocketed, reaching over 100 items per event. After graduation in 2022, Manna fully committed to Manna Bakery, selling hundreds of items at pop-ups in Philadelphia.

Beyond food, Manna uses his bakery to educate the public on Palestinian culture. He displays the Arabic names and English translations of each item, helping customers connect with heritage while enjoying authentic flavors. Zack Kreines, a 22-year-old Swarthmore graduate, became a devoted customer after discovering the bakery on TikTok. “Everyone has had a chocolate chip cookie,” Kreines says, “but he has a cookie with za’atar in it.”

With a growing reputation and loyal customer base, Manna plans to expand. “The only next step,” Surikova says, “is for Manna Bakery to become a brick-and-mortar business.” Through each baked good, Saif Manna continues to honor his grandmothers, preserve Palestinian culinary traditions, and bridge cultures—one musakhan bun at a time.