Middle Eastern cuisine developed over thousands of years in the Fertile Crescent region, with influences from ancient civilizations, religions, and later empires. Core foods include wheat, rice, lamb, yogurt, and bread. Popular dishes are hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, and shawarma, while desserts include baklava. Religious influences like Islam impact the cuisine through prohibitions on pork and alcohol. Meals are often built around mezze appetizers and eaten with flatbread.

1. MIDDLE EASTERN
CUISINE

2. Middle East Cuisine
• Food in these countries is far from being "fashionably
trendy" but rather retains the ancestral heritage of its
peoples. Tradition is at the root of these cultures, and
the foods they eat are no different.
• It is important to look at the foods of the Middle East as
they developed within the entire region, ignoring
present-day political boundaries. Keep in mind this area
is known as the cradle of civilization, the Fertile
Crescent, flanked by the Nile River to the west and the
Tigris and Euphrates to the east. Ignore today's images
of barren, dry hot land, and imagine the former richness
of the soil, the lush vegetation and sites like the Garden
of Eden itself, believed to have existed in this region.

3. • Here, some 12,000 years ago hunters became farmers.
Wheat was first cultivated, followed by
barley, pistachios, figs, pomegranates, dates and other
regional staples. Fermentation was discovered and used
not just to make beer, but also to leaven bread.
• Middle Eastern dishes are seasoned with
cardamom, coriander, cumin, thyme, marjoram and
sumac.

4. • As Muslims, they drank goat's milk instead of
water, feeding too on dates, nuts and other foods
that could be transported easily.
• When the Persians evolved their own cuisine using
fresh fruits, rice, duck and other meats, the
predominant Middle Eastern cuisine as we know it
today began to emerge, a synthesis of these
influences and the new exotic spices the Arab
traders were garnishing from the Orient.

5. • As time went on, more influences fell upon the
region, introduced by Turkey's Ottoman Empire.
They brought, among other foods, the sweet pastries
of paper thin phyllo dough and the dense, sweet
coffee drunk nowadays throughout the Middle East

6. • While these are the core contributors to Middle
Eastern cuisine, other countries and peoples left
their mark. Yogurt from the Russians; dumplings
from Mongol invaders; turmeric, cumin, garlic and
other spices from India; cloves, peppercorns and
allspice from the Spice Islands; okra from Africa;
tomatoes from the New World, via the Moors of
Spain.

7. • Just as Buddhism plays a hand in determining the
diets of many Asian countries, so to do religions of
the Middle East affect the cuisine. Lamb is the main
meat eaten, as both the Jewish and Muslim faiths
forbid the eating of pork. The Koran forbids
alcohol, so consequently the region is not generally
noted for its wines.
• While a Middle Eastern meal might exclude meat, it
would never exclude bread. From leavened breads
to flat breads, there is always some form of this
staple at table.

8. What to Eat
• A typical meal will start with the appetizer, known
as mezze. Order a mezze course in Lebanon and
other countries and you will soon learn why the
tables are so big. Dozens of tiny dishes with exotic
tidbits are placed on the table all at once.

9. • Depending on what country
you are in, the main course
may include
falafels, kebabs of grilled
lamb or chicken;
khoresht, lamb stew in a
sweet-sour sauce; or any
number of polo dishes
mixed with meats, fruits
and nut

10. • Salads, vegetables and breads will accompany the
meal. Tabbouleh, a tart parsley, bulgur and tomato
salad, sautéed eggplant and tomatoes with
yogurt, and spinach are popular. Pita and other flat
breads of course are common, but so are leavened
breads including the traditional Jewish Challah and
varieties of sourdough.

11. • For dessert, expect a
small cup of
sweet, thick
coffee, unless you are
in Iran, where tea is
preferred. Nut-filled
desserts ranging from
baklava, the honey
sweet phyllo
pastries, to almond
crusted cookies, are
favored

12. Popular Middle Eastern
Food Dishes
• Baba Ghanoush is a
popular Middle Eastern
dish made with
eggplant, olive oil and
seasonings. It is often
eaten with pita bread
and may be included as
part of other dishes. The
eggplant is popularly
baked to provide a soft
texture and smoky
flavor.

13. • Hummus is an Arab
spread made from
mashed
chickpeas, tahini, olive
oil, lemon juice, salt and
garlic is also often eaten
with pita bread.
• Falafel is made from
chickpeas and/or fav a
beans that are mixed with
seasonings such as
onion, parsley, sesame
seeds and spices and then
shaped into balls or
patties and deep fried.

14. • Schwarma is meat that
has been grilled on a spit
and roasted on all
sides, sometimes for as
long as a day. The meat
is shaved and typically
eaten as fast food, in
sandwiches in pita bread
or rolled up in a flatbread
with vegetables such as
cucumber, onion, tomato,
lettuce, eggplant and
dressing such as tahini or
hummus.

15. • Basbousa is a sweet semolina cake
that may be flavoured with
coconut, rose water or lemon syrup
and topped with almonds or
pistachios. Basbousa may be called
the Turkish hareesa or revani in
other parts of the Mediterranean.
• Kenafeh/Kanafeh is an Arab
cheese pastry soaked in
syrup and is made in three
main varieties khishnah:
with a crust made from long
thin noodle threads, na'ama
made of semolina dough and
mhayara a mixture of
khishnah and na'ama.

16. • A beverage popular
throughout the Middle East
is Turkish coffee, which is
thicker than regular
coffee, and is made by
boiling finely ground coffee
in water and letting the
grounds settle.

17. • In some areas in the Middle Eat, it is common for
people to take their food from a common plate in the
center of the table. Rather than employing forks or
spoon, people may scoop up hummus and other
foodstuff with pita bread. Among Muslims in
particular, the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene
and considered unclean. Thus, the right hand should
be used for eating; shaking hands or handling over an
item with one’s left hand is an insult.

18. Essential Ingredients
• Bulghur Cracked Wheat
• Canned Chickpeas
• Hot Red Pepper Sauce
• Anise Seed
• Zatter, z’hatar/zahatar
• Coriander
• Turmeric
• Olive oil
• Wheat flour
• Tahini
• Honey

19. • Sumac
• Mint
• Parsley
• Mortar and Pestle
• Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
• Wooden Spoons
• Food Processor
• Pyrex Ovenware
• Ibrik
• Skewers
• Roasting Pan
• Cookware Set
• Meat Thermometer
Equipments

20. THAT’S ALL FOLKS!