Although all of the Middle Eastern countries have fairly
similar cultures and traditions, there are many distinctive differences. An
example would be food. Each country has its own “signature” meals. Between
countries, a lot of the food is similar but with slight variations.
Here are some of the Middle Eastern countries and their
food:
Palestine:
Maqluba, is a meal consisting of rice, chicken, and fried
cauliflower or eggplant (Palestinian Maqluba, 2010). Check
out my recipe for Maqluba here.
Musakhan, which literally translates to something heated, is
chicken on a bed of bread and caramelized onions and seasoned with sumac
(Qasem, 2009)
Kinafa is a very popular Palestinian based sweet made of
sweet cheese and shredded dough (Naylor, 2011). Check out my
How to Make Kinafa video here.
Jordan:
Mansaf, which is one
of my favorite meals, is made up of rice and lamb and covered in a type of goat
yogurt called Jameed (Qasem, 2009).
Egypt:
Koushari is a meal I have never tried before but it sounds
very interesting. It includes rice, lentils, chickpeas, and macaroni (Koushari
Egyptian Rice, 2010).
Lebanon:
Shish Barak is another meal I have never tried before, but I
have heard it is delicious. It is similar to meat dumplings in yogurt
(Mercedes, 2009).
Saudia Arabia:
Kabsih is a different take on your basic chicken and rice
meal (Kabsa or Kabseh, 2009). It has
many surprising ingredients that somehow work well together. My favorite
ingredient is the raisins, because I love the sweet and salty taste!
Many of the foods from different Middle Eastern countries
are similar, but each country has its own style when it comes to food.
References
Kabsa or Kabseh recipe (chicken and rice). (2009). Retrieved
from http://homemade-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/10/kabsa-or-kabseh-recipe-chicken-rice.html
Koushari (Egyptian rice, lentils, and noodles). (2010).
Retrieved from http://alfhana.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/koushari-egyptian-rice-lentils-and-noodles/
Mercedes. (2009). Shish Barak Lebanese meat dumplings in
yogurt sauce. Retrieved from http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2009/12/shish-barak-lebanese-meat-dumplings-in.html
Naylor, H. (2011). In Nablus, Kinafa is more than a desert,
it’s a way of life. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/in-nablus-kunafa-is-more-than-a-dessert-its-a-way-of-life
Palestinian Maqluba. (2010). Retrieved from http://julienjulia.blogspot.com/2010/07/palestinian-maqluba.html
Qasem, N. (2009). Mansaf. Retrieved from http://middle-eastfood.blogspot.com/2009/11/mansaf.html
Qasem, N. (2009). Musakhan. Retrieved from http://middle-eastfood.blogspot.com/2009/11/musakhan.html