Food From The Middle East

'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.lebanesethe 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.syrianif 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.arabianthe 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.