Food in the Middle East is heavily tied to local culture and is nuanced on a country-to-country basis. If you’re new to the cuisine and looking for Middle Eastern food and dishes to try, be sure to check out this list of some of the staples.
Mansaf
First up from these Middle Eastern food and dishes to try is the Jordanian national dish mansaf. Mansaf is a dish of rice and lamb that has been cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt also known as jameed.
It was traditionally made by Jordan’s Bedouin tribes and it’s a dish that remains popular today. If you’re in Jordan or a neighboring country where mansaf can be found be sure to give this unique dish a try.
Shish Tawook
Shish tawook is of the most popular Middle Eastern food and dishes to try. It’s skewered chicken that has been marinated in spices, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic.
It’s affordable, easy to make and absolutely delicious. The seasonings and base ingredients used can vary depending on the country you’re in but it’s a dish that should be easy to find regardless of where you are in the region.
Shawerma
If we’re talking about Middle Eastern food and dishes to try, we can’t leave out shawarma. It’s one of the most common dishes from the region and it can be found in other regions as well like North America and Europe.
It’s marinated meat, usually lamb, goat or chicken, that is stacked in a cone shape and slowly roasted as it rotates in front an oven or fire.
The end result is meat that’s always sliced fresh from the stack and wrapped in flatbread with veggies and toum (a garlic sauce).
Mana’eesh Zaatar
Mana’eesh, which is spelled and pronounced slightly different depending on the locale, is next on this list of Middle Eastern food and dishes to try. Mana’eesh is a baked flat bread similar to pizza that can be served with all sorts of toppings, but specifically we’re looking at mana’eesh zaatar.
Zaatar is a combination of many different herbs and spices that can vary but the foundation generally consists of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac and sesame seeds.
The zaatar is mixed with olive oil then baked onto mana’eesh bread to form a delicious combination that’s perfect as a snack, appetizer or morning meal.
Baklava and Knafeh
Baklava and knafeh, which, again have various pronunciations and spellings, are a must-try if you’re looking for Middle Eastern desserts.
Baklava is a layered, light, crunchy, syrupy baked sweet that is filled with pistachios or other nuts. It can be commonly found outside of the Middle East but quality baklava made locally in an Arab country is on another level as far desserts go.
And the same can be said for knafeh. It’s a baked dessert layered with syrup-soaked kataifi, a spun or shredded pastry, and akkawi cheese which is similar in flavor to mozzarella.
Knafeh is usually topped with pistachios, and despite apprehensions you might have about mixing sweets and cheese, this Middle Eastern desert is to die for.
