Food and production

FOOD AND PRODUCTION
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(June 20, 2012)
Middle East Cuisine
Introduction
Middle East cuisine refers to the cuisine of different countries and people of the Middle East. The region’s cuisine is not only diverse but also contains a large degree of homogeneity. The commonly utilized ingredients in this region are olive oil, sesame seeds, sumac, parsley, mint, chickpeas, olive, honey and pitas. Likewise, common dishes include shawarma and kibbeh. In a similar way with other parts of the world, this region normally benefits a lot from a plethora of various cuisines and cooking styles. These various cuisines in the region contain some similarities to one another. On the contrary, they can be categorized into three key areas of influence. These include Arab, Persian and Mediterranean (Ham, 2009).
Middle East Cuisine in relation to different cultures
Cuisines in the Middle East include the Mediterranean, Persian and Arab cultures. Examples of cuisines with the Mediterranean influence include Turkish and Lebanese food. These foods utilize a lot of similar ingredients as their neighbors on the opposite side of the sea such as Italy and Greece. Conversely, the preparations differ from one country to another and also from kitchen to kitchen. The most prevalent staples of Levantine cooking include fava beans, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, chick peas and lamb. Meal emphasis is normally put on fresh produce and a lot of Mezze. This represents the version of the Middle East for appetizers or Tapas. Within this region, the most beverages of choice include Turkish coffee, Arak and wine. Furthermore, the Persian influenced foods are Afghani and Iranian cuisines. Within these foods, increased emphasis is given to the lamb, meat dishes. In addition, there is also increased utilization of rice in the majority of the meals. For instance, other cuisines within this region have developed as a result of mixing three influences. These three influences are the neighboring Persian and Mediterranean cuisines and the various nomadic lifestyles of Bedouin tribes within the region. Thus, yogurt, almonds, dates, goat and lamb are the most significant ingredients within these cuisines (Edelstein, 2010).
In the Middle East, cereals represent the base for its diet. Rice and wheat are the important and most preferred sources of most of the staple cuisines. In addition, barley is a very common phenomenon in this region. Maize has also become common in some areas. Within this region, bread represents a universal staple. It is normally eaten in one given form or another. Apart from bread, wheat is utilized in the form of couscous and burghul. In the real sense, burghul is simply cracked meat. It is normally prepared by cooking the wheat grains partially in water. Then, it is sun dried or put in an oven and broken into pieces in varying grade sizes. It is normally cooked in water alongside flavorings just like rice. Furtherm...