Unit -3
Middle eastern cuisine :
Arab cuisine
Arab cuisine is defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab World,
from Morocco and Tunisia to Yemen and Somalia, and incorporating Levantine,
Egyptian and others.
History
Originally, the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula relied heavily on a diet of dates, wheat,
barley, rice and meat, with little variety and heavy emphasis on yogurt products, such
as labneh (yoghurt without butterfat).A group of Arabic spices and herbs in bowls,
usually used in Medicine, and Arabic Cuisine
There is a strong emphasis on the following items in Arabian cuisine:
Meat: Lamb and chicken are mostly used, while beef and camel are used to a
lesser degree. Pork is completely prohibited—for Muslim Arabs, being both a
cultural taboo and prohibited under Islamic law; many Christian Arabs also avoid
pork as they have never acquired a taste for it, although
this is often not the case in Lebanon, where cold cuts of ham are frequently consumed in
Christian neighborhoods.
Advanced Food Production Notes Bhmct 5th Sem
Dairy products: dairy products are widely used, especially yogurt and white
cheese. Butter and cream are also used extensively.
Herbs and spices: mint and thyme (often in a mix called zatar) are widely and
almost universally used; spices are used much less than the Indian cuisine.
Some of the included herbs and spices are sesame, saffron, turmeric, garlic,
cumin, cinnamon, and sumac.
Beverages: Hot beverages are used more than cold, coffee being on the top of
the list, mostly in the Gulf countries. However, tea is also served in many Arab
countries. In Egypt and Jordan, for instance, tea is a more important hot
beverage than coffee.
Grains: Rice is the staple and is used for most dishes; wheat is the main source
for bread. Semolina is also used extensively.
Legumes: Lentils are widely used as well as fava beans and chick peas
(garbanzo beans).
Vegetables and fruits: Arabic cuisine also favors vegetables such as
cucumbers, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), okra and onions, and
fruits (primarily citrus)which are often used as seasonings for entrees. Olives
as well as dates, figs and pomegranate are also widely used.
Nuts: almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are often included.
Greens: Parsley and mint are popular as seasonings in many dishes, while
spinach and Corchorus (called "molokhia" in Arabic) are used in cooked
dishes.
Dressings and sauces: The most popular dressings include various
combinations of olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and/or garlic, and tahini (sesame
paste). Labaneh, thinned yogurt, is often seasoned with mint and onion or
garlic, and served as a sauce with various dishes.
Notably, many of the same spices used in Arabian cuisine are also those emphasized
in Indian cuisine. This is a result of heavy trading and historical ties between the two
regions.
Advanced Food Production Notes Bhmct 5th Sem
Structure of meals - There are two basic structures for meals in the Arab world, one
regular and one specific for the month of Ramazan.
Regular Meals: Breakfast - Cafés often offer croissants for breakfast. Breakfast is
often a quick meal consisting of bread and dairy products with tea and sometimes
with jam. The most used is labneh and cream (kishta, made of cow's milk; or
qaimar, made of domestic buffalo milk). Labneh is served with olives, dried mint
and drizzled with olive oil. Pastries such as manaqeesh, sfiha, fatayer and kahi are
sometimes eaten for breakfast. Flat bread with olive oil and za'tar is also popular.
Most Arab families also consume hummus and falafel with pita bread. Lablabi is
another heavy garbanzo-based stew popular for breakfast in Tunisia. A selection of
mezze, appetizers or small dishes, in Petra, Jordan.
Lunch - Lunch is considered the main meal of the day and is traditionally eaten after
the noon prayer. It is the meal for which the family comes together and, when
entertaining, it is the meal of choice to invite guests to. Rarely do meals have
different courses; however, salads and maza are served as side dishes to the main
meal
The latter usually consists of a portion of meat, poultry or fish, a portion of rice, lentil,
bread or bagel and a portion of cooked vegetables in addition to the fresh ones with
the maza and salad. The vegetables and meat are usually cooked together in a
sauce (often tomato, although others are also popular) to make maraq, which is
served on rice. Most households add bread, whether other grains were available or
not. Drinks are not necessarily served with the food; however, there is a very wide
variety of drinks such as shineena (or laban), Karakaden, Naque’e Al Zabib, Irq
soos, Tamr Hindi as well as fruit juices. During the 20th century, carbonated
beverages and fruit based drinks, sold by supermarkets, have also become very
popular.
Advanced Food Production Notes Bhmct 5th Sem
Dinner - Dinner is traditionally the lightest meal, although in modern
times and due to changing lifestyles, dinner has become more
important.
Ramazan meals - In addition to the two meals mentioned hereafter,
during Ramadan sweets are consumed much more than usual; sweets
and fresh fruits are served between these two meals. Although most
sweets are made all year round such as knafeh, baklawa and basbousa,
some are made especially for Ramadan, such as Qatayef.
Futuur (also called iftar) or fast-breaking, is the meal taken at dusk
when the fast is over. The meal consists of three courses: first, an odd
number of dates based on Islamic tradition. This is followed by a
soup, the most popular being lentil soup, but a wide variety of soups
such as chicken, oats, freeka (a soup made from a form of whole
wheat and chicken broth), potato, mash and others are also offered.
The third course is the main dish, usually eaten after an interval
when Maghreb prayer is conducted. The main dish is mostly similar
to lunch, except that cold drinks are also served.
Israel
Israel was created as a homeland for displaced Jews after World
War II, and in culinary and cultural terms it is quite different from
the other countries of the Middle East. The creation of Israel as a
Jewish homeland contrasts its population sharply with that of its
neighbors, all of which have a majority population of Muslims. The
population of Israel also is made up primarily of immigrants who
returned to their native land from all over Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Both the religious differences and
the role of immigrants (and the cuisines that they brought with
them) play a signifi cant role in making this cuisine unique from the
Advanced Food Production Notes Bhmct 5th Sem
others in the Middle East.
Advanced Food Production Notes Bhmct 5th Sem
