|
Lebanese
The tiny
country 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 flavours 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 flavours blending together into a
complex medley of earthy, fruity tastes and scents. Foods from
Lebanon, are considered a Mediterranean delicacy consisting of a
variety of fresh vegetarian recipes, salads and stews all seasoned
with a flavorsome combination of exotic spices. One of the most world
known Lebanese specialties is called the Meze Meze, which is a
selection of appetisers or small dishes also known as muqabbilat (starters).
Syrian
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 flavours 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
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. In addition, the cuisine is heavily dosed with anything hot,
from hot sauces to every variety of pepper, to tea drank the hotter
the better. This cuisine also favours vegetables such as cucumbers,
eggplants, and onions, and fruits (primarily citrus), and often used
as seasonings for entrée
Moroccan
Moroccan
cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified
cuisines in the world. The reason is because of the interaction of
Morocco with the outside world for centuries. The cuisine of Morocco
is a mix of Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and
African cuisines. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fez, Meknes,
Marrakech, Rabat and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the
centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine
today. The midday meal is the main meal, with the exception of the
holy month of Ramadan. The typical formal meal begins with a series
of hot and cold salads, followed by a tagine. Bread is eaten with
every meal. Often a lamb or chicken dish is next, followed by
couscous topped with meats and vegetables. A cup of sweet mint tea is
commonly used to end the meal. It is common for Moroccans to eat
using the fingers of their hand, and use bread as a "utensil."
Persian
The cuisine of
Iran is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as
culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their regions. It
includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelow kabab (barg,
koobideh, joojeh, shishleek, soltani, chenjeh), khoresht (stew that
is served with white Basmati or Persian rice: ghormeh sabzi, gheimeh,
and others), aash (a thick soup), kookoo (meat and/or vegetable
pies), polow (white rice alone or with addition of meat and/or
vegetables and herbs, including loobia polow, albaloo polow, zereshk
polow, and others), and a diverse variety of salads, pastries, and
drinks specific to different parts of Iran. The list of Persian
recipes, appetizers and desserts is extensive.
Iranian food
is inventive, rich and varied. It is exotic yet simple, healthy and
colorful. Iranian food is not spicy. Herbs are used a lot, as is
fruit from plums and pomegranates to quince, prunes, and raisins. The
main Persian cuisines are combinations of rice with meat, chicken or
fish and plenty of garlic, onion, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. To
achieve a delicious taste and a balanced diet, unique Persian spices
such as saffron, diced limes, cinnamon, and parsley are mixed
delicately and used in some special dishes.
Turkish
Turkish
cuisine is well-known, especially in Europe. Frequently used
ingredients in Turkish dishes include eggplant, green pepper, onion,
lentil, bean, tomato, garlic, and cucumber. Grape, apricot, cherry,
melon, fig, lemon, pistachio, pine nut, almond, hazelnut, watermelon,
and walnut are among the most abundantly used fruits and nuts.
Preferred spices and herbs are parsley, cumin, pepper, paprika, mint,
and thyme.
Turkish
cuisine is highly influenced by its Ottoman heritage. Ottomans fused
various culinary traditions of their realm, with particular influence
by Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkish themes
from Central Asia. The best flavored white cheeses and yogurt are
prepared from sheep milk. Although rice, which is named as pilav
(pilaf), is the essential part of many foods, bulgur (prepared from
wheat) can also used for the same purpose. Especially in the western
parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is
the major type of oil used for cooking. The bread is prepared from
wheat, barley or corn. Pide (broad, round and flat kind of bread made
of wheat) and tand?r ekme?i (baked on the inner walls of a round oven
called tand?r) are some examples for authentic types of bread in
Turkish cuisine. Another type of bread commonly eaten in Turkey is
simit (or "gevrek"), a ring shaped bread covered with
sesame seeds, eaten either plain or with cheese or jelly.
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
flavours. 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.
Restaurants
in UK
A little over
twenty years ago and through the seventies, there were only a handful
of Lebanese eateries scattered along the Edgware Road. These catered
to locals and to the guests of the nearby Park Lane Hilton and
Intercontinental Hotel. As the number of visiting Arabs and
immigrants grew, and as Europe became more interested and accepting
of foreign culture, the diversity and number of specialised eateries increased.
Today the
Edgware Road, Bayswater and Westbourne Grove districts have become
bustling centres. Restaurants have evolved and developed and although
the Lebanese still dominate the industry, one can see an increasing
diversification with no monopoly on this lucrative business.
Famous
restaurants include Fakreldeine in Piccadilly - a lavishly decorated
first floor restaurant which has enjoyed a first class reputation
since its opening 20 years ago. Al-Hamra in Mayfair and Beitedine in
Knightsbridge. Synonymous with Lebanese food are the popular Maroush
and Ranoush chains on Edgware Road and Knightsbridge Other favourite
eating venues amongst London's Arab population are the Persian
restaurants. Like the Iranian community, these are centred around the
Kensington area and offer a similar menu to their Arab counterparts,
yet often at much more affordable prices. One of the latest arrivals
to the London restaurant scene is North African cuisine. Although
Maghreban food has been popular in France for some time due to its
large Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian population, it was not until
the opening of Momo's in 1997 that Britain's capital was exposed to
the lures of tagines, cous cous and fresh mint tea. An exclusive
restaurant and club, Momo's combines the flavours of the Maghreb with
the increasingly popular dance music of the Middle East. Others
include :
Levant Wigmore
Street, Ozer Langham Place, Pasha, Gloucester Road (Ottoman), Fairuz
Blandford Street (Lebanese), Isis Dover Street, Levantine Paddington
(Lebanese), Meadea Fulham (North African), Noura Lebanese, Sofra (Turkish)
|
