Hilana Cuisine

Manal Insley, owner of Hilana Falafel, creates authentic Jerusalem-style falafel using locally-sourced ingredients. After moving to the US from Palestine, Manal first began making falafel in an effort to “taste the flavor of home.” At the encouragement of friends and family, Manal launched Hilana Falafel in 2015 and joined FRESHFARM’s Market by the White House in 2016.

Manal’s love for farmer’s markets, local sourcing, and entrepreneurship stems from the work she was involved in before Hilana Falafel. Manal served as a project manager for a drip irrigation project with the USAID, observing local farmers through the process of growing and harvesting, and also spent time helping women launch their own businesses. This work involved meeting people face-to-face regularly, and she loves that farmer’s markets offer her that same opportunity.