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Middle Eastern Cuisine
‘Middle eastern cuisine’ is a broad term that encompasses many
different cooking styles from a number of different countries.
Moroccan, Syrian, Greek, Arabian – the various cuisines of the middle
east share a great deal – and have many differences.
The food of the Middle East is a celebration of life. No matter which
country, the staples are the fresh fruits and vegetables that grow in
the hills. The spices and flavorings of Middle Eastern food are those
that awaken the senses, sparkling against the thicker, richer tastes of
the main ingredients. Mints, lemon, garlic, rosemary – all have a
fresh, astringent quality that cleanses the palate and refreshes the
taste buds. Throughout the region, the cuisine varies – but these
things remain the same: fresh ingredients, astringent and piquant
spices, olive oil, and little meat.
Lebanese Cusines:
The tiny country – about the size of Connecticut – is nestled into the
shores of the Mediterranean Sea, at the very crook of the fertile
Crescent. Its contributions to the cuisine of the entire Middle Eastern
region of the world are unmistakable. The flavors that spice the foods
of all the surrounding lands can be found here in abundance – olive
oil, lemon, garlic and mint. Lebanese cuisine features such staples as
kibbeh (ground lamb with bulghur wheat) and tabouleh (parsley, mint and
bulghur wheat salad). The food is simply prepared, with the flavors
blending together into a complex medley of earthy, fruity tastes and
scents.
Syrian Cusines:
If Syria had contributed nothing else to the world cuisine but pita
bread and hummus, it would still be worthy of note. There’s far more to
the cuisine of this small Middle Eastern country, though. Baba ganoush
(pureed eggplant), stuffed olives and figs, peppers in olive oil –
Syrian food celebrates the fruits of the earth and blends them to bring
out the textures and flavors in surprising ways. Shish kebab and rice
pilaf are two of the more well-known dishes, and while most people
think of Greece when they hear baklava, the Syrian claim that it is
based on their own dessert of batwala.
Arabian Cusines:
The Bedouin of the desert once based their diets on dates and yoghurt
with the occasional camel or goat to provide meat. Over the centuries,
the nomadic tribes incorporated spices, meats and vegetables from other
cultures into their cuisine. Today’s Arabian cuisine is a mingling of
influences from India, Lebanon and further west. Lamb is the meat most
often used in cooking, and it is prepared in a number of ways including
shish kebab, spit-roasted, or stewed. The cuisine relies heavily on
mint, turmeric, saffron, garlic and sesame. Rice and kasha are the most
commonly consumed grains, and the spicing is fresh and astringent –
meant to awaken and refresh the palate rather than burn it out.
Throughout the Mediterranean Middle East, the cultures and people have
intermingled and carried with them their foods and traditions of
eating. In no other place in the world can there be found a blending of
cultures that has mingled so much – yet maintained such distinct,
national flavors. Healthful, fresh, delicious and life-enhancing, it’s
little wonder that the cuisine of the Middle East is among the most
popular with diners the world over.
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