Syria

A samosa (listenⓘ) ( Persian: سمبوسه) from the Persian word sambosag (سنبوسگ) (meaning 'triangular pastry') is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling, mostly vegetables, spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but also meat or fish. It is made in different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of India, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, Portugal, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas. The English word samosa derives from the Hindustani word samosa (Urdu: سموسہ, Hindi: समोसा), traceable to the Middle Persian word sanbosag (سنبوسگ) 'triangular pastry'. Similar pastries are called sambusak in Arabic from Persian; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it sambusaj, which are all borrowed from Persian sanbosag.

Sayadieh is a seasoned fish and rice dish from the Middle East, made with cumin and other spices, as well as fried onions. The spice mix is called baharat in Arabic and its preparation varies from cook to cook but may include caraway, cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Historically, it was a fisherman's meal found along the coast of Lebanon, but the dish can now be found throughout the Middle East. Several variants of the meal exist, but most variants involve a sauce prepared with fried onions. Depending on the degree of caramelization the sauce can range from light brown to a deep black with a strong, pungent taste. The rice is often colored by cooking it with caramelized onion. The dish can be made with a variety of fishes, but usually firm, white fishes, such as haddock or cod. are preferred. Entire fishes are used, and the fish head and bones are often used to produce stock and flavor the rice and the sauce. The dish is garnished with slivered almonds and toasted pine nuts, as well as fried onions.

Lamb chops, lamb cutlets

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Levantine region during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, it may also be made with chicken, turkey meat, beef, falafel or veal. The surface of the rotisserie meat is routinely shaved off once it cooks and is ready to be served. Shawarma is a popular street food throughout the Arab world, Levant, and the Greater Middle East. The name shāwarmā in Arabic is a rendering of the term çevirme in Ottoman Turkish (چيويرمى [tʃeviɾˈme], lit. 'turning; hence, roughly synonymous to döner in this context'), referring to rotisserie.

Shish taouk or shish tawook is a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab of Ottoman cuisine that later became part of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is widely eaten in the Middle East and Caucasus. A similar dish in Persian cuisine is the traditional jujeh kabab. It is also served in kebab houses in many cities around the world. Shish in Syrian-Arabic dialects or şiş in Turkish means skewer. Some scholars assert that it is itself a Persian loanword from sikh,[citation needed] others say that it comes from the root "sı" in old Turkish meaning "to cut". It has been adopted in Egyptian Arabic, Lebanese-Arabic and Syrian-Arabic dialects. Tavuk ( pronounced [taˈvuk]) comes from old Turkic takagu and means chicken. The dish consists of cubes of chicken that are marinated, then skewered and grilled. Common marinades are based upon yogurt and lemon juice or tomato puree, though there are other variations.

Joshpara is a kind of dumpling popular in Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Middle East. They are made of unleavened wheat dough squares filled with ground meat and condiments. Josh means "to boil" while para is a term for "bit" in early Persian. This word was commonly used prior to the 10th century, when it was replaced by the modern Persian name gosh e-barreh, meaning "lamb's ear". There are several variations of the name in other languages including Azerbaijani , Bashkir (сөсбәрә, süsbərə) Kazakh (тұшпара, tushpara), Kyrgyz (чүчпара, chuchpara), Tajik (тушбера, tushbera), Uzbek (chuchvara) and Uyghur (چۆچۈرە, chöchürä). The Arabic word shishbarak (Arabic: شيشبرك) or shushbarak (Arabic: شُشْبَرَك) is thought to be derived from joshpara in pre-Islamic times. Another theory about the words' etymology is that the word comes from the Turkic word düşbərə. The words tosh and dash mean "filled up" and "spill out", and berek means "food" (dishes made from dough). This alludes to the fact that düşbərə should be added in when the water is boiling and spilling out of the saucepan.

Lentil soup

Chorba [a] or shorba (/ˈʃɔːrbə/ SHOR-bə; Azerbaijani: [ʃoɾˈbɑ])[b] is a broad class of stews or rich soups found in national cuisines across the Middle East, Maghreb, Iran, Turkey, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, East Africa and South Asia. It is often prepared with added ingredients but is also served alone as a broth or with bread. The word chorba in English and in many Balkan languages is a loan from the Ottoman Turkish چوربا çorba, which itself is a loan from Persian شوربا šōrbā. The spelling shorba could be a direct loan into English from Persian or through a Central or South Asian intermediary. The word is ultimately a compound of شور šōr meaning 'salty, brackish' and با bā meaning 'stew, gruel, spoon-meat'. The former is from Parthian ??? šōr meaning 'salty', and the latter from Middle Persian *-bāg meaning 'gruel, spoon-meat'.

Chorba [a] or shorba (/ˈʃɔːrbə/ SHOR-bə; Azerbaijani: [ʃoɾˈbɑ])[b] is a broad class of stews or rich soups found in national cuisines across the Middle East, Maghreb, Iran, Turkey, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, East Africa and South Asia. It is often prepared with added ingredients but is also served alone as a broth or with bread. The word chorba in English and in many Balkan languages is a loan from the Ottoman Turkish چوربا çorba, which itself is a loan from Persian شوربا šōrbā. The spelling shorba could be a direct loan into English from Persian or through a Central or South Asian intermediary. The word is ultimately a compound of شور šōr meaning 'salty, brackish' and با bā meaning 'stew, gruel, spoon-meat'. The former is from Parthian ??? šōr meaning 'salty', and the latter from Middle Persian *-bāg meaning 'gruel, spoon-meat'.

Sumaghiyyeh is a Palestinian dish native to Gaza City, prepared traditionally on holidays. It receives its name from the spice sumac. It is a traditional Arab dish, already mentioned in the 11th century, among other dishes by Abū al-Muṭahhar al-Azdī in the story Ḥikāyat Abū al-Qāsim. Ibn al-Mubarrad gives instructions for its preparation in Kitāb al-Ṭibāḫa in the 15th century. The ground sumac is first soaked in water and then mixed with Tahini (sesame seed paste), additional water, and flour for thickness. The mixture is then added to sautéed chopped chard, pieces of slow-stewed beef, and garbanzo beans. It is seasoned with dill seeds and chili peppers, fried with garlic in olive oil, then poured into bowls to cool. Pita bread is used to scoop it.

Vegetable soup is a common soup prepared using vegetables and leaf vegetables as primary ingredients. It dates to ancient history, and is a mass-produced food product in contemporary times. Vegetable soup is prepared using vegetables, leafy greens, mushrooms, and roots as the main ingredients. Some fruits, such as tomato and squash, are considered vegetables in such a context. Vegetable soup can be prepared as a stock- or cream-based soup. Basic ingredients in addition to vegetables can include beef, fish, beans and legumes, grains, tofu, noodles and pasta, vegetable broth or stock, milk, cream, water, olive or vegetable oil, seasonings, salt and pepper, among myriad others. Some vegetable soups are pureed and run through a sieve, straining them to create a smooth texture. It is typically served hot, although some, such as gazpacho, are typically served cold. Vegetable soup is sometimes served as a starter or appetizer dish. Vegetable soup is mass-produced in canned, frozen, dried, powdered, and instant varieties.

Arab salad or Arabic salad is any of a variety of salad dishes that form part of Arab cuisine. Combining many different fruits and spices, and often served as part of a mezze, Arab salads include those from Libya and Tunisia such as the "Tunisian salad" and "black olive and orange salad" and from Tunisia salata machwiya is a grilled salad made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions with olives and tuna on top, those from Syria and Lebanon such as "artichoke salad" (salataf khurshoof) and "beet salad" (salatat shamandar), and those from Palestine and Jordan. Other popular Arab salads eaten throughout the Arab world include fattoush and tabouli. A recipe for Arab salad in Woman's Day magazine includes diced tomato, cucumber and onion. Often mixed with parsley and combined with the juice of freshly squeezed lemon and olive oil, Arabic salad contains no lettuce. All the vegetables, except the onion, are left unpeeled, and the salad should be served immediately. Other variations include serving with fried pita slices or adding sumac to the lemon and oil dressing. Among Palestinians, this Arabic salad is known as Salatat al-Bundura ("tomato salad") and is popularly served alongside rice dishes. Similar salads in the Middle East include the Persian salad shirazi, Israeli salad, Turkish choban salad and Greek salad.

Baba ghanoush , 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 roasted, 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'), which is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush.

Bahārāt is a spice mixture or blend used in Middle Eastern cuisines. The mixture of finely ground spices is often used to season lamb and mutton, fish, chicken, beef, anise, and soups, and may also be used as a condiment. Bahārāt is the Arabic word for "spices" (the plural form of bahār, 'spice'). The word originates from the Persian word bahār. Composition depends on the region the spice mix is from. Typical ingredients of baharat may include:

Balila is a Levantine dish consisting of chickpeas that have been boiled along with lemon juice, garlic, and various spices. It is served as a hot mezze dish. The name is also used for a different Egyptian dish made of whole wheat berries, milk, nuts, and raisins.

Syrian bulgur salad with herbs, tomatoes, nuts, parsley

Bissara, bessara, besarah, bayssara , bayssar and tamarakt is a dish in Egyptian cuisine and Moroccan cuisine. The dish contains split fava beans, onions, garlic, fresh aromatic herbs and spices. All ingredients are slowly cooked and then blended together to yield a creamy and fragrant dip or side dish. In ancient Jewish cuisine, a similar dish, known as "mikpah ful" in rabbinic literature, was commonly consumed. Food historians believe that the name Bissara originates from the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic word "Bisourou" (or bissouro), which means "cooked beans".

A croissant wæsɒ̃/, French: [kʁwasɑ̃] ⓘ) is a French pastry in a crescent shape made from a laminated yeast dough similar to puff pastry. It is a buttery, flaky, 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.

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

Duqqa,[spelling 1] du'ah, do'a, or dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), and spices. It is typically used as a dip with bread or fresh vegetables for an hors d'œuvre. Pre-made versions of duqqa can be bought in the spice markets of Cairo, where they are sold in paper cones, with the simplest version being crushed mint, salt, and pepper. The packaged variety that is found in markets is composed of parched wheat flour mixed with cumin and caraway. In the Hejaz region, it has been part of the regional cuisine for decades. The word is derived from the Arabic for "to pound" since the mixture of spices and nuts is pounded together after being dry roasted to a texture that is neither powdered nor paste-like. The actual composition of the spice mix can vary from family to family, vendor to vendor though there are common ingredients, such as sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. Reference to a 19th-century text lists marjoram, mint, zaatar and chickpeas as further ingredients that can be used in the mixture. A report from 1978 indicates that even further ingredients can be used, such as nigella, millet flour and dried cheese. Some modern variants include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

Duqqa,[spelling 1] du'ah, do'a, or dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts (usually hazelnut), and spices. It is typically used as a dip with bread or fresh vegetables for an hors d'œuvre. Pre-made versions of duqqa can be bought in the spice markets of Cairo, where they are sold in paper cones, with the simplest version being crushed mint, salt, and pepper. The packaged variety that is found in markets is composed of parched wheat flour mixed with cumin and caraway. In the Hejaz region, it has been part of the regional cuisine for decades. The word is derived from the Arabic for "to pound" since the mixture of spices and nuts is pounded together after being dry roasted to a texture that is neither powdered nor paste-like. The actual composition of the spice mix can vary from family to family, vendor to vendor though there are common ingredients, such as sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. Reference to a 19th-century text lists marjoram, mint, zaatar and chickpeas as further ingredients that can be used in the mixture. A report from 1978 indicates that even further ingredients can be used, such as nigella, millet flour and dried cheese. Some modern variants include pine nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of Egyptian origin, featuring in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly Levantine cuisines, and is made from broad beans, ground chickpeas, or both.

Beans stewed with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, lemon

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

Fattoush is a Lebanese salad made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flat bread) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes, cucumber and tomatoes. Fattoush is popular among communities in the Levant. Fattūsh is derived from the Arabic fatt "crush" and the suffix of Turkic origin -ūsh. Coining words this way was common in Levantine Arabic. Fattoush belongs to the family of dishes known as fattat (plural of fatteh), which use stale flatbread as a base. Fattoush includes vegetables and herbs varying by season and taste. The vegetables are cut into relatively large pieces compared to tabbouleh which requires ingredients to be finely chopped. Sumac is usually used to give fattoush its sour taste, while some recipes also add pomegranate molasses along with the sumac.

Halloumi or haloumi[note 1][note 2] is a cheese that originated in Cyprus. It is 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 is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production, although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation. Halloumi is popular throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. By 2013, demand in the United Kingdom had surpassed that in every other European country except Cyprus.

Harissa 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. Tunisia is the biggest exporter of prepared harissa and UNESCO lists it as part of Tunisia's Intangible Cultural Heritage. The origin of harissa goes back to the importation of chili peppers into Maghrebian cuisine by the Columbian exchange, presumably during the Spanish occupation of Ottoman Tunisia between 1535 and 1574.

Hummus , 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. The earliest mention of hummus was in a 13th century cookbook attributed to the historian Ibn al-Adim from Aleppo in present-day Syria.

Tresse cheese, also known as jibneh mshallaleh is a form of string cheese originating in Syria. It can be eaten plain, or mixed with pastries. The cheese is properly mixed with mahleb, which is often mixed with Nigella sativa (black cumin), anise or caraway seeds. It is soaked in brine for several weeks before being braided. Described as a "fine white semi-soft smooth and springy cheese...similar to mozzarella" with a "nutty" aroma it is traditionally made from cow's milk, but variations are found with sheep or goat milk. It can be used as a substitute for Mexican Oaxaqueno cheese.

Ka'ak or kahqa is the common Arabic word for cake or biscuit, in its various senses, 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. Similar pastry, called "kue kaak", is also popular in Indonesia. Ka'ak is first attested to in the Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, which originates from Syria in the 13th century. The Kitab al Wusla il al Habib gives three recipes for Ka'ak. Ka'ak can refer to a bread commonly consumed throughout the Levant that is made in a large ring-shape and is covered with sesame seeds. Fermented chickpeas are used as a leavening agent. Widely sold by street vendors, it is usually eaten as a snack or for breakfast with za'atar. In Palestinian Jerusalem, it is sometimes served alongside oven-baked eggs and falafel.[better source needed] Palestinians from Hebron to Jenin consider ka'ak al-Quds (Jerusalem ka'ak) to be a unique specialty good, and those from the city or visiting there often buy several loaves to give to others outside the city as a gift.

Kashk , (Sorani Kurdish: کەشک) qurut (Tuvan and Kyrgyz: курут, Kazakh: құрт, Turkmen: gurt, Uzbek: qurut, Azerbaijani: qurut, Tajik: қурут, Pashto: قروت, Turkish: kurut), chortan (Armenian: չորթան chort’an), or aaruul and khuruud (Mongolian: ааруул or хурууд) is a range of dairy products popular in Iranian cuisine, Caucasian cuisine, and Central Asian cuisine. Kashk is made from strained yogurt, drained buttermilk (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.

Khubz, alternatively transliterated as khoubz, khobez, khubez, or khubooz,[clarification needed] 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.

Kibbeh is a popular dish in the Levant based on spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Lebanon and Syria. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is made by pounding bulgur wheat together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into ovoid shapes, with toasted pine nuts and spices. It may also be layered and cooked on a tray, deep-fried, grilled, or served raw. The Syrian city of Aleppo can lay claim to at least 17 types of kibbeh. In Mesopotamian cuisine, versions with rice or farina are found.

Kibbeh nayyeh or raw kibbeh is a Levantine mezze that likely originated in Aleppo, Syria. It consists of minced raw lamb (or beef) mixed with fine bulgur and spices. Kibbeh nayyeh is often served with mint leaves, olive oil, and green onions. Pita bread is used to scoop it. It is sometimes served with a sauce of garlic or olive oil. Leftovers are then cooked to create a different dish. Many recipes call for kibbe nayyeh as the "shell" for cooked kibbeh. In this case, however, the kibbe is rolled into a ball and stuffed with lamb, onions, pine nuts and spices, then fried.

Strained yogurt, Greek or Greek-style yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, kerned yogurt or labneh is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of yogurt. Like many types, strained yogurt is often made from milk enriched by boiling off some water content, or by adding extra butterfat and powdered milk. In Europe and North America, it is often made from low-fat or fat-free cow's milk. In Iceland a similar product named skyr is made. Strained yogurt is usually marketed in North America as "Greek yogurt" and in the United Kingdom as "Greek-style yoghurt", though strained yogurt is also widely eaten in Levantine, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, South Asian, and Eastern European cuisines, where it is often used in cooking, as it curdles less readily when cooked. It is used in a variety of dishes, cooked or not, savory or sweet. Straining makes even non-fat yogurt varieties thicker, richer, and creamier than unstrained. Since straining removes the whey, more milk is required to make strained yogurt, increasing the production cost. In Western Europe and the United States, strained yogurt has increased in popularity compared to unstrained yogurt. Since the straining process removes some of the lactose, strained yogurt is lower in sugar than unstrained yogurt.

Makdous is a dish of oil-cured aubergines. Part of Levantine cuisine (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine), they are miniature, 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. It is also often served as an appetiser in restaurants.

Aleppan mortadella, a beef and pistachio sausage

The preservation of food such as vegetables, fruits, grains, lemons, dairy products

Muhammara or mhammara is a spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. It is associated with Lebanon, but is also found in Turkey, especially in southeastern regions, where Arab dishes are more common in the local cuisine because of the Lebanese cultural influence, as well as in Western Armenian cuisine. In Turkey, muhammara is referred to as acuka and is served as part of the mezze platter appetizer course. The principal ingredients are usually fresh Red pepper chosen meaty and sweet, which guarantee a rich flavor and a silky texture after cooking, pomegranate molasses for a characteristic sweet-tart note, ground walnuts gives a crunchy texture, breadcrumbs it is used to thicken the puree and give it a perfect consistency, garlic to enhance the flavors, red chili paste, salt and extra virgin olive oil. It sometimes contain lemon juice and spices such as cumin. It may be garnished with extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, mint leaves or parsley. Served with pita bread. Muhammara is eaten as a dip with bread, as a spread for toast, and as a sauce for kebabs, grilled vegetables, grilled meats, and fish.

Murrī or almorí was a liquid condiment made using a fermented solid-state starter called budhaj that was made with barley flour or wheat 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. There are two types of murri known from historical recipes that have survived into the present day. The Iraqi-style murri from the 10th century Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq and the 13th century Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada was made by wetting a combination of ground flatbread, barley flour (budhaj flour) and salt and allowing it to ferment. The Maghrebi style of murri described in detail in Kitab Wasf is made only with barley flour, and flavored with carob, fennel stems, citron, pine nuts, mixed spices and bitter orange wood. The consistency is similar to treacle. Kitab Wasf also describes a "Byzantine murri", but it is made with toasted bread instead of spoiled bread and includes caramelized honey. The authors of some Arabic lexicographical wrote that murri may be a word of foreign origin, and based on this, some modern scholars have speculated that the word could be derived from the Greek halmyris ('a salty thing' and source for the Latin word for brine, salmuria) and the condiment related to the Ancient Roman condiment garum (or garos in Greek). Although murri is not made with fish, the Arabic translation of Artemidorus' Oneirocritica uses garos for murri. While calling this "a translator's 'bright idea'", Charles Perry, an expert in medieval Arab cuisine, notes that both condiments do share the traits of being fermented, salty liquid seasonings, but it is unknown whether the technique or culinary use of a fermented sauce is of Greek origin. Perry writes that murri may represent "the Greek idea of a salty liquid seasoning as interpreted in the basically Persianized—and fish poor—Near Eastern environment," but cautions that this interpretation has some problems, including recorded recipes of a distinct "Byzantine murri". David Waines, a British scholar of Islamic history, has written that there are two types of murri, "the more usual made from barley flour, and the other from fish." He further explains:

Eggplant, tahini and garlic dip

The olive, botanical name Olea europaea, meaning 'European olive', is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies found further afield in Africa and western Asia. 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. It is the type species for its genus, Olea. The tree and its fruit give their name to the Oleaceae plant family, which also includes species such as lilac, jasmine, forsythia, and the true ash tree. 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 Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Thousands 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 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 20% are used as table olives.

Qamar al-Din[fn 1] is an apricot fruit leather, which is popularly made into apricot juice or a nectar beverage from Arab cuisine famously consumed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It originates from Syria and was first produced in the Ghouta, where the variety of apricots most suitable for qamar al-din was first grown. Qamar al-din is enjoyed across the Middle East and North Africa as well as in Somalia, though Syrian qamar al-din is still believed to be the best because the variety of apricots most suitable for making qamar al-din grows only in Syria and southwestern Turkey. Several theories have been proposed for the origin of qamar al-din's name. One theory holds that it was named for its inventor, a Syrian man named Qamar al-Din. He was said to have been so handsome that he resembled the moon (qamar, Arabic: قمر), hence his name. Another theory holds that apricot season coincided with the sighting of the new moon marking the beginning of Ramadan in the year when qamar al-din was invented. A similar theory, widespread in Egypt, traces the name's origin to a Caliph who was known to celebrate with qamar al-din upon seeing the crescent moon during Ramadan.

Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa —or, much less commonly, Oryza glaberrima (African rice). Asian rice was domesticated in China some 13,500 to 8,200 years ago; African rice was domesticated in Africa about 3,000 years ago. Rice has become commonplace in many cultures worldwide; in 2021, 787 million tons were produced, placing it fourth after sugarcane, maize, and wheat. Only some 8% of rice is traded internationally. China, India, and Indonesia are the largest consumers of rice. A substantial amount of the rice produced in developing nations is lost after harvest through factors such as poor transport and storage. Rice yields can be reduced by pests including insects, rodents, and birds, as well as by weeds, and by diseases such as rice blast. Traditional rice polycultures such as rice-duck farming, and modern integrated pest management seek to control damage from pests in a sustainable way. Many varieties of rice have been bred to improve crop quality and productivity. Biotechnology has created Green Revolution rice able to produce high yields when supplied with nitrogen fertiliser and managed intensively. Other products are rice able to express human proteins for medicinal use; flood-tolerant or deepwater rice; and drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties. Rice is used as a model organism in biology.

Beet salad with vinaigrette

Samoon is a type of yeast bread that is consumed mainly in Iraq. It is baked in traditional stone ovens. 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.[citation needed] 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.

Sfiha or sfeeha is a dish consisting of flatbread cooked with a minced meat topping, often lamb flavored with parsley, 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 parts of South America, where it is known as esfiha or esfirra in Brazil or as empanada árabe (arab empanada), fatay or sfija in Argentina, after being introduced by Middle Eastern immigrants to the former and to the latter from Syria and Armenia. Flatbreads have been present in the Fertile Crescent since prehistoric times. They have been cooked on hot surfaces such as stones, a metal sajj plate, taboon, or tandoor. In the medieval Arab world, with the development of the brick oven or furn, a wide variety of flatbreads baked together with stuffings or toppings emerged, including sfiha, and spread across the Ottoman Empire.

Shanklish , also known as chancliche, shinklish, shankleesh, sorke, sürke, or eddesh, is a type of cow or sheep milk cheese in Levantine cuisine. Shanklish is made by curdling yogurt, straining it, and fermenting it. It is typically formed into balls of approximately 6 cm diameter, often covered in za'atar and Aleppo pepper, and then aged and dried. The most common spice is thyme, which gives the cheese an appearance somewhat resembling a rum ball. Shanklish is also sold in much smaller balls or in an unformed state.

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 than hot sauces. Chili paste usually refers to a product whose 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 regional varieties of chili paste and also within the same cuisine.

Sujuk or sucuk is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Turkish, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly used in Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sucuk was first mentioned in the 11th century by Mahmud al-Kashgari in his Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk as suɣut. Another mention was made by Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati in his early 14th century work titled Kitab al-'idrak li-lisan al-'atrak (كتاب الإدراك للسان الأتراك). The word "suɣut" itself means "sujuk, or dried thing" and derived from Turkic root -suɣur meaning to dry or to drain off and the suffix "-çïk/-çuk" is Turkic diminutive suffix (Suɣutçuk => Sucuk). But according to some sources, this word evolved from a Middle Iranian word attested in Early New Persian as zīç (زيچ) and ziwīdj (زویج) (meaning "stretching, strip, cord" and "sausage" respectively) which later took the form of zīçak (زیچک), Cognate names are also present in other Turkic languages, e.g. Kazakh: шұжық, shujyq; Kyrgyz: чучук, chuchuk. Franciscus a Mesgnien Meninski in his Thesaurus recorded the word sucuk (سجوق) for the first time in Ottoman Turkish in late 17th century.

This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Tabbouleh , also transcribed tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Levantine salad of finely chopped parsley, soaked bulgur, tomatoes, mint, and onion, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper. Some variations add lettuce, or use semolina instead of bulgur.

Tahini (Arabic: طحينة, lit. 'ground' (past participle of grind), or rashi (Arabic: راشي) is a Middle-Eastern condiment made from ground sesame. Its more commonly eaten variety comes from hulled sesame, but unhulled seeds can also be used for preparing it. The latter variety has been described as slightly bitter, but more nutritious. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, the Balkans, South Asia, Central Asia, and amongst Ashkenazi Jews as well as parts of Russia and North Africa. Sesame paste (though not called tahini) is also used in some East Asian cuisines.

Sauce made with tahni (sesame seed paste), a popular topping or condiment for meat, vegetables, falafel and many other dishes in Middle Eastern cuisine

Tahini (sesame seed paste) mixed with date syrup/molasses, serve with bread

Torshi are the pickled vegetables of many Middle Eastern, Iranian, Slavic and Balkan cuisines. Torshi is common in Arab, Turkish, Assyrian, Kurdish, Afghan, Balkans, Slavic, 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.

Salsat toum , also known as toumya or simply toum (Arabic: تُومْ 'garlic'), is a garlic sauce common to the Levant. It is similar to the Provençal aioli, but the proportion of garlic is much higher. There are many variations; a common one contains garlic, salt, olive oil or vegetable oil, and lemon juice, traditionally crushed together using a wooden mortar and pestle. There is also a popular variation in Lebanon where mint is added; it is called zeit wa toum ('oil and garlic'). Salsat toum 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, and can be served with almost any meat dish.

Artichokes, broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, chickpeas, eggplant, fava beans, garlic, lentils, sweet peas, turnips, vine leaves, white beans, zucchini

Sarma is a traditional food in Ottoman cuisine – nowadays, Turkish, Greek, Levantine, Arabic, Armenian, etc. – made of vegetable leaves rolled around a filling of minced meat, grains such as rice, or both. It is commonly marketed in the English-speaking world as stuffed grape leaves, stuffed vine leaves, or stuffed cabbage leaves. The vegetable leaves may be cabbage, patience dock, collard, grapevine, kale or chard leaves. Sarma is part of the broader category of stuffed dishes known as dolma, and has equivalents (such as the Polish Gołąbki) in Eastern European cuisines from the northern Baltic through Romania. Sarma is a Turkish word meaning "wrapping". Sarma made with grape leaves are called yaprak sarması (lit. 'leaf sarma') or yaprak dolması (lit. 'leaf dolma') in Turkish, yabraq (يبرق) or waraq 'inab (ورق عنب) lit. 'vine leaves' or waraq dawālī (ورق دوالي) in Arabic. yarpaq dolması (lit. 'leaf dolma') in Azerbaijani, and dolme barg-e mo (دلمه برگ مو, lit. 'vine leaf dolma') in Persian. In Assyrian it is called ܦܪܵܟܼܹܐ (prakhe) which refers to the fact that the rice is rubbed in the grape leaves. In Armenian, they are called մսով տերեւափաթաթ (missov derevapatat), տերեւի տոլմա (derevi dolma), թփով դոլմա (t'pov dolma) and տերեւի սարմա (derevi sarma). In Greek they are generally called ντολμάδες (dolmathes) but may also be known as γιαπράκια (yaprakia), γιαπράκια γιαλαντζί (yaprakia yalandzi), ντολμαδάκια (dolmathakia), ντολμαδάκια γιαλαντζί (dolmathakia yalandzi), σαρμάδες (sarmathes), or σαρμαδάκια (sarmathakia).

Sarma is a traditional food in Ottoman cuisine – nowadays, Turkish, Greek, Levantine, Arabic, Armenian, etc. – made of vegetable leaves rolled around a filling of minced meat, grains such as rice, or both. It is commonly marketed in the English-speaking world as stuffed grape leaves, stuffed vine leaves, or stuffed cabbage leaves. The vegetable leaves may be cabbage, patience dock, collard, grapevine, kale or chard leaves. Sarma is part of the broader category of stuffed dishes known as dolma, and has equivalents (such as the Polish Gołąbki) in Eastern European cuisines from the northern Baltic through Romania. Sarma is a Turkish word meaning "wrapping". Sarma made with grape leaves are called yaprak sarması (lit. 'leaf sarma') or yaprak dolması (lit. 'leaf dolma') in Turkish, yabraq (يبرق) or waraq 'inab (ورق عنب) lit. 'vine leaves' or waraq dawālī (ورق دوالي) in Arabic. yarpaq dolması (lit. 'leaf dolma') in Azerbaijani, and dolme barg-e mo (دلمه برگ مو, lit. 'vine leaf dolma') in Persian. In Assyrian it is called ܦܪܵܟܼܹܐ (prakhe) which refers to the fact that the rice is rubbed in the grape leaves. In Armenian, they are called մսով տերեւափաթաթ (missov derevapatat), տերեւի տոլմա (derevi dolma), թփով դոլմա (t'pov dolma) and տերեւի սարմա (derevi sarma). In Greek they are generally called ντολμάδες (dolmathes) but may also be known as γιαπράκια (yaprakia), γιαπράκια γιαλαντζί (yaprakia yalandzi), ντολμαδάκια (dolmathakia), ντολμαδάκια γιαλαντζί (dolmathakia yalandzi), σαρμάδες (sarmathes), or σαρμαδάκια (sarmathakia).

Vegetarian dolmas, grape leaves stuffed with vegetables and/or rice