43 Dishes

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Croissant

A croissant (uk: , us: , french: [kʁwasɑ̃] (listen)) is a buttery, flaky, french viennoiserie pastry inspired by the shape of the austrian kipferl but using the french yeast-leavened laminated dough. croissants are named for their historical crescent shape, the dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a thin sheet, in a technique called laminating. the process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry. crescent-shaped breads have been made since the renaissance, and crescent-shaped cakes possibly since antiquity but using brioche dough. kipferls have long been a staple of austrian, and french bakeries and pâtisseries. the modern croissant was developed in the early 20th century when french bakers replaced the brioche dough of the kipferl with a yeast-leavened laminated dough. in the late 1970s, the development of factory-made, frozen, preformed but unbaked dough made them into a fast food that could be freshly baked by unskilled labor. the croissant bakery, notably the la croissanterie chain, was a french response to american-style fast food, and as of 2008, 30–40% of the croissants sold in french bakeries and patisseries were baked from frozen dough.croissants are a common part of a continental breakfast in many european countries.

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Dates

Fruit from the date palm. a common snack, dessert.

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Fattoush

Fattoush (arabic: فتوش; also fattush, fatush, fattoosh, and fattouche) is a levantine salad made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz (arabic flat bread) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes. fattoush is popular among all communities in the levant.

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Fried eggplant

Sliced, battered and deep-fried eggplant, serve with tahini, garden vegetables, flatbread

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Fruit

In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. edible fruits in particular have long propagated using the movements of humans and animals in a symbiotic relationship that is the means for seed dispersal for the one group and nutrition for the other; in fact, humans and many animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of food. consequently, fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, and some (such as the apple and the pomegranate) have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings. in common language usage, "fruit" normally means the seed-associated fleshy structures (or produce) of plants that typically are sweet or sour and edible in the raw state, such as apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, oranges, and strawberries. in botanical usage, the term "fruit" also includes many structures that are not commonly called "fruits" in everyday language, such as nuts, bean pods, corn kernels, tomatoes, and wheat grains.

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Geymar

Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta (persian: سَرشیر saršir) (arabic: قشطة qeshta or arabic: قيمر geymar ) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in central asia, some balkan countries, some caucasus countries, the countries of the levant, turkic regions, iran and iraq. in poland, the name kajmak refers to a confection similar to dulce de leche instead.the traditional method of making kaymak is to boil the raw milk slowly, then simmer it for two hours over a very low heat. after the heat source is shut off, the cream is skimmed and left to chill (and mildly ferment) for several hours or days. kaymak has a high percentage of milk fat, typically about 60%. it has a thick, creamy consistency (not entirely compact, because of milk protein fibers) and a rich taste.

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Ka'ak

Ka'ak (arabic: كعك, also transliterated kaak) or kahqa is the common arabic word for biscuit, and can refer to several different types of baked goods produced throughout the arab world and the near east. the bread, in middle eastern countries, is similar to a dry and hardened biscuit and mostly ring-shaped. this pastry is popular in indonesia, and called as "kue kaak".

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Kashk

Kashk (persian: کشک kašk, kurdish: keşk), qurut (tuvan and kyrgyz: курут, kazakh: құрт, turkmen: gurt, uzbek: qurt, azerbaijani: qurut, pashto: قروت, armenian: չորթան-chortan, turkish: kurut) or aaruul and khuruud (mongolian: ааруул or хурууд) is a range of dairy products used in cuisines of iranian, afghan, pakistani, turkish, kurdish, mongolian, central asian, transcaucasian and the levantine people. kashk is made from drained yogurt (in particular, drained qatiq) or drained sour milk by shaping it and letting it dry. it can be made in a variety of forms, like rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks. there are three main kinds of food products with this name: foods based on curdled milk products like yogurt or cheese; foods based on barley broth, bread, or flour; and foods based on cereals combined with curdled milk.

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Kibbeh

Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; arabic: كبة, romanized: kibba) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in middle eastern cuisine.in levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding bulgur wheat together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into balls with toasted pine nuts and spices. it may also be layered and cooked on a tray, deep-fried, grilled, or served raw. in mesopotamian cuisine, versions with rice or farina are found. some recipes add semolina.kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of lebanon and syria, especially in aleppo, and is a popular dish in the levant. versions are found in cyprus, egypt, israel, iraq, iran, the persian gulf, armenia, and turkey, and among assyrian people. it is also found throughout latin american countries that received substantial numbers of immigrants from the levant during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as parts of north america.

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Kumpir

A baked potato, known in some parts of the united kingdom (though not generally scotland) as a jacket potato, is a preparation of potato. it may be served with fillings, toppings or condiments such as butter, cheese, sour cream, gravy, baked beans, and even ground meat or corned beef. some varieties of potato, such as russet and king edward, are more suitable for baking than others, owing to their size and consistency. despite the popular misconception that potatoes are fattening, baked potatoes can be part of a healthy diet.

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Makdous

Makdous (arabic: المكدوس or sometimes المقدوس) is a dish of oil-cured aubergines. part of iraqi and levantine cuisine (jordan, lebanon, palestine, israel, syria), they are tiny, tangy eggplants stuffed with walnuts, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt. sometimes chilli powder is added.makdous is usually prepared by syrian households around fall to supply for winter, and is usually eaten during breakfast, supper or as a snack.

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Olives

The olive, botanical name olea europaea, meaning 'european olive' in latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family oleaceae, found traditionally in the mediterranean basin. when in shrub form, it is known as olea europaea 'montra', dwarf olive, or little olive. the species is cultivated in all the countries of the mediterranean, as well as in australia, new zealand, north and south america and south africa. olea europaea is the type species for the genus olea. the olive's fruit, also called an "olive", is of major agricultural importance in the mediterranean region as the source of olive oil; it is one of the core ingredients in mediterranean cuisine. the tree and its fruit give their name to the plant family, which also includes species such as lilac, jasmine, forsythia, and the true ash tree. hundreds of cultivars of the olive tree are known. olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". about 90% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 10% are used as table olives.

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Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh (arabic: تبولة, romanized: tabbūla; also tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah) is a levantine salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur (soaked, not cooked), and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper. some variations add lettuce, or use semolina instead of bulgur.tabbouleh is traditionally served as part of a mezze in the eastern mediterranean and the arab world. like hummus, baba ghanoush, pita bread, and other elements of arab cuisine, tabbouleh has become a popular food in the united states.

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Torshi

Torshi (persian: ترشی torshi, meaning "sourness") are the pickled vegetables of many middle eastern and balkan cuisines. torshi is common in arab, turkish, afghan, bosnian, armenian and iranian cuisine. iran has hundreds of types of torshi, according to regional customs and different events. in some families, no meal is considered complete without a bowl of torshi on the table. toursi is a traditional appetizer (meze) to go with arak, rakı, ouzo, oghi, tsipouro, and rakia. in some regions, notably in turkey (turşu suyu) and bosnia (rasol), the pickle juice or torshi water is a popular beverage. in bulgarian cuisine, the most popular types are tsarska turshiya ("king's pickle") and selska turshiya ("country pickle"). torshi is often made in homes in the autumn, even in cities. it is also sold by specialists and in supermarkets, and is served in restaurants. in 2021, turkey's pickle exports reached the level of 300 million dollars.

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Vegetables

Cucumbers, eggplant, spinach, tomatoes, white beans, zucchini

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Yogurt

Yogurt (uk: ; us: , from turkish: yoğurmak, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. the bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. cow's milk is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks are also used to produce yogurt. the milk used may be homogenized or not. it may be pasteurized or raw. each type of milk produces substantially different results. yogurt is produced using a culture of lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. in addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. some countries require yogurt to contain a specific amount of colony-forming units (cfu) of bacteria; in china, for example, the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1 million cfu per milliliter.to produce yogurt, milk is first heated, usually to about 85 °c (185 °f), to denature the milk proteins so that they do not form curds. after heating, the milk is allowed to cool to about 45 °c (113 °f). the bacterial culture is mixed in, and a warm temperature of 30–45 °c (86–113 °f) is maintained for 4 to 12 hours to allow fermentation to occur, with the higher temperatures working faster but risking a lumpy texture or whey separation.

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Zaalouk

Zaalouk or zalouk (berber: ⵣⴰⵄⵍⵓⴽ moroccan arabic: زعلوك, romanized: zaʿlūk) is a moroccan salad of cooked eggplants and tomatoes. the eggplant is first grilled and then mixed with the tomatoes and the mix is seasoned with garlic and spices.

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Ka'ak bi simsim

Ka’ak al-quds/jerusalem bagel is a type of bread baked in jerusalem. it has a ring shape but is otherwise unlike a traditional boiled bagel. instead, it is derived from the ka'ak bread ring which is found throughout the middle east. typically, this is a yeasted, crusty bread which is shaped into an oblong ring and covered in sesame seeds. the dough has a lighter texture than a traditional bagel.

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Kesra

Fermented flatbread commonly made with sorghum or millet flour

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Khubz

Khubz, alternatively transliterated as khoubz, khobez, khubez, or khubooz,, is the usual word for "bread" in standard arabic and in many of the vernaculars. among the breads popular in middle eastern countries are "pocket" pita bread in the levant and egypt, and the flat tannur bread in iraq. the oldest known find of bread, by archaeologists in northern jordan, dates back 14,000 years. it was a sort of unleavened flatbread made with several types of wild cereals.

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Laffa

Laffa, also known as lafa or iraqi pita, is a large, thin flatbread in israeli cuisine with an iraqi origin. laffa is a simple bread that is traditionally dairy-free and vegan and cooked in a tannur (tandoor) or taboon oven. it is most often used to wrap falafel, kebab, and shawarma to make sandwiches, to dip in hummus, matbucha and other dips, or with shakshouka, and other dishes. it is also the traditional bread used in sabich, an israeli eggplant sandwich.laffa is similar to many tandoor breads found in asia including naan and pita. though they are similar, laffa is unique in that it does not form a pocket and is much thicker and chewier than pita or naan.

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Markook

Markook bread (arabic: خبز مرقوق, romanized: khubz marqūq), also known as khubz ruqaq (arabic: رقاق), shrak (arabic: شراك), khubz rqeeq (arabic: رقيق), mashrooh (arabic: مشروح), and saj bread (arabic: خبز صاج), is a kind of middle eastern unleavened flatbread common in the levant and the arabian peninsula. it is baked on a convex metal griddle (a saj) or in a tannour.markook shrak is a type of thin bread. the dough is unleavened and usually made with only flour, water, and salt, and after being rested and divided into round portions, flattened and spread across a round cushion until it is thin then flipped onto the saj. it is often folded and put in bags before being sold. it is commonly compared to pita bread, also found in middle eastern cuisine, although it is much larger and thinner. in some arab countries, such as yemen, different names are given for the same flatbread, such as khamir, maluj and ṣaluf, depending on the regional dialects. by israelis, markook may also be referred to as laffa, though markook and laffa are distinct types of flatbread.

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Samoon

Samoon (arabic: صمون) is a type of yeast bread that is consumed mainly in iraq. it is baked in traditional stone ovens, like pizza. this bread is one of the most widespread breads in iraq, along with khubz. it is usually served with a variety of foods such as hummus, kebab, and shawarma. it is one of the most popular breads used in iraq and across the levant and variants can be found in syria and lebanon. it can be also found in other middle eastern and european countries. a key differentiator in most samoon is the use of live-culture yogurt as a leavener. otherwise, the process of making it is relatively similar to pita.

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Mombar

Mombar (in ِarabic: ممبار) or sheep fawaregh (in ِarabic: فوارغ) is a kind of arab sausage dish especially popular in egypt. syria, algeria, tunisia, and libya. it is made from sheep casing stuffed with a rice and meat mixture and deep fried.

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Sujuk

Sujuk or sucuk is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several balkan, middle eastern and central asian cuisines. sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but horse meat is also often used in bulgaria, kazakhstan and kyrgyzstan.

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Akkawi

Akkawi cheese (arabic: جبنة عكاوي, romanized: jubna ʿakkāwī, also akawi, akawieh and ackawi) is a white brine cheese named after the city of akka (acre, present-day israel).

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Halloumi

Halloumi or haloumi () is a traditional cypriot cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk. its texture is described as squeaky. it has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute. rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production, although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.halloumi is often associated with the island of cyprus, where it has been produced by a multi-ethnic population for many centuries. it is also popular throughout the eastern mediterranean. it became widely available in turkey after 2000. by 2013, demand in the united kingdom had surpassed that in every other european country except cyprus.in the united states, halloumi is a registered trademark owned by the government of cyprus, while in the uk it is owned by the foundation for the protection of the traditional cheese of cyprus named halloumi. it is also protected as a geographical indication in the eu, as a protected designation of origin (pdo), which means within the eu only products made in certain parts of cyprus can be called "halloumi". pdo protection for halloumi was delayed largely by disagreements among farmers of cattle, sheep, and goats regarding the inclusion of cows' milk, and (if cows' milk were included) the proportion of it.

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Sfiha

Sfiha or sfeeha (arabic: صفيحة, romanized: ṣafīḥa) is a dish consisting of flatbread cooked with a minced meat topping, often lamb flavored with onion, tomato, pine nuts, and spices. it is traditionally found in the countries of the levant, and is closely related to manakish and lahmacun.sfiha has become popular in brazil, where it is known as esfiha or esfirra, after being introduced by immigrants from syria and lebanon.

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Amba

Amba or anba (arabic: عنبة, but also mis-spelled عمبة, أمبة, همبة, hebrew: עמבה) is a tangy mango pickle condiment of indian origin. it is typically made of pickled green mangoes, vinegar, salt, turmeric, chili and fenugreek. it is somewhat similar to savoury mango chutneys.

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Baba ghanoush

Baba ghanoush (uk: , us: ; arabic: بابا غنوج, romanized: bābā ġannūj), also spelled baba ganoush or baba ghanouj, is a levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and tahini. the eggplant is traditionally baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. it is a typical meze ('starter') of the regional cuisine, often served as a side to a main meal and as a dip for pita bread.a very similar dish is mutabbal (arabic: متبل lit. 'spiced'). mutabbal has no vegetables and is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush. mutabbal consists of mashed roasted eggplants, tahini, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon and often yogurt.

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Bechamel

Bechamel sauce ( french: [beʃamɛl]) is a sauce traditionally made from a white roux (butter and flour in a 1:1 mixture) and milk. bechamel may also be referred to as besciamella (italy), besamel (greece), or white sauce (u.s.). french, italian and greek bechamel sauce recipes include salt and nutmeg as a seasoning base.bechamel sauce is one of the "mother sauces" of french cuisine.

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Date honey

Date honey, date syrup, date molasses, debes (arabic: دِبس, pronounced [dibs]), or rub (arabic: رُب, pronounced [rubb]; hebrew: דְּבַש תמרים dvash tmarim or סילאן, silan; persian: شیره خرما) is a thick dark brown, very sweet fruit syrup extracted from dates. it is widely used in middle eastern cooking.

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Fattet hummus

A dip made with bread that is soaked in broth, hummus, tahini and lemon juice

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Harissa

Harissa (arabic: هريسة harīsa, from maghrebi arabic) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the maghreb. the main ingredients are roasted red peppers, baklouti peppers (بقلوطي), spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin and olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors. rose harissa, made with rose petals, is also made.

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Hummus

Hummus (, ; arabic: حُمُّص, 'chickpeas'; full arabic name: ḥummuṣ bi-ṭ-ṭaḥīna arabic: حمص بالطحينة, 'chickpeas with tahini') is a middle eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. the standard garnish in the middle east includes olive oil, a few whole chickpeas, parsley, and paprika.in middle eastern cuisine, it is usually eaten as a dip, with pita bread. in the west, it is now produced industrially, and is often served as a snack or appetizer with crackers.

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Muhammara

Muhammara (arabic: محمرة "reddened") or mhammara is a spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. it is associated with aleppo, but can also be found in turkey, especially in southeastern regions, where arab dishes are more common in the local cuisine because of the syrian cultural influence. in turkey, muhammara is referred to as acuka and is served as part of the mezze platter appetizer course.

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Murri

Murrī or almorí (in andalusia) was a type of fermented condiment made with barley flour, known from maghrebi and arab cuisines. almost every substantial dish in medieval arab cuisine used murrī in small quantities. it could be used as a substitute for salt or sumac, and has been compared to soy sauce by rudolf grewe, charles perry, and others due to its high glutamates content and resultant umami flavor.

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Mutabbel

Eggplant, tahini and garlic dip

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Shatta

Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces. several varieties of chili sauce include sugar in their preparation, such as the thai sweet chili sauce and filipino agre dulce, which adds sweetness to their flavor profile. sometimes, chili sauces are prepared with red tomato as primary ingredients. many chili sauces may have a thicker texture and viscosity when compared to that of hot sauces. chili paste usually refers to a paste where the main ingredient is chili pepper. some are used as a cooking ingredient, while others are used to season a dish after preparation. some are fermented with beans, as in chinese doubanjiang, and some are prepared with powdered fermented beans, as in korean gochujang. there are different regional varieties of chili paste and also within the same cuisine. chili sauces and pastes can be used as dipping sauces, cooking glazes and marinades. many commercial varieties of mass-produced chili sauce and paste exist.

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Toum

Salsat toum or toumya (arabic pronunciation of ْتُوم 'garlic') is a garlic sauce common to the levant. similar to the provençal aioli, there are many variations, a common one containing garlic, salt, olive oil or vegetable oil, and lemon juice, traditionally crushed together using a wooden mortar and pestle. there is also a variation popular in many places, such as the town of zgharta, in lebanon, where mint is added; it is called zeit wa toum ('oil and garlic'). salsat toum (garlic sauce) is used as a dip, especially with french fries, chicken and artichoke, and in levantine sandwiches, especially those containing chicken. it is also commonly served with grilled chicken dishes.

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Baharat

Bahārāt (arabic: بَهَارَات) is a spice mixture or blend used in middle eastern cuisines. bahārāt is the arabic word for "spices" (the plural form of bahār "spice"). the mixture of finely ground spices is often used to season lamb or mutton, fish, chicken, beef, and soups, and may also be used as a condiment.

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Bezar

Spice mix made with cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander, peppercorns, red chilies, tumeric

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Zaatar

Za'atar ( zah-tar; arabic: زَعْتَر, ipa: [ˈzaʕtar]) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. it is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. as a family of related middle eastern herbs, it contains plants from the genera origanum (oregano), calamintha (basil thyme), thymus (typically thymus vulgaris, i.e., thyme), and satureja (savory) plants. the name za'atar alone most properly applies to origanum syriacum, considered in biblical scholarship to be the ezov (hebrew: אזוב [eˈzov]) of the hebrew bible, often translated as "hyssop" but distinct from modern hyssopus officinalis. used in levantine cuisine, both the herb and spice mixture are popular throughout the mediterranean region of the middle east.