Arab Cuisine - China Laser Light Projector - China Dmx Master Controller

History

History

Originally, the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula relied heavily on a diet of dates, wheat, barley, rice and meat, with little variety, with a heavy emphasis on yogurt products, such as labneh () (yoghurt without butterfat). As the indigenous Semitic people of the peninsula wandered, so did their tastes and favored ingredients.

There is a strong emphasis on the following items in Arabian cuisine:

Meat: lamb and chicken are the most used, beef and camel are also used to a lesser degree, other poultry is used in some regions, and, in coastal areas, fish. Pork is completely prohibitedor Muslim Arabs, it is both a cultural taboo as well as being prohibited under Islamic law; many Christian Arabs also avoid pork as they have never acquired a taste for it.

Dairy products: dairy products are widely used, the most of which is yogurt and white cheese. However, butter and cream are also used extensively.

Herbs and spices: mint and thyme (often in a mix called za'atar) are widely and almost universally used; spices are used much less than the Indian cuisine but the amount and types generally varies from region to region. Some of the included herbs and spices are sesame, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and sumac. Spice mixtures include baharat.

Beverages: hot beverages are used more than cold, coffee being on the top of the list, mostly in the Gulf countries, although tea is also served in many Arab countries. In Egypt and Jordan tea is the more important hot beverage than coffee for instance.

Grains: rice is the staple and is used for most dishes; wheat is the main source for bread, as well as bulgur and semolina, which are also used extensively.

Legumes: lentils are widely used as well as fava beans and chick peas (garbanzo beans).

Vegetables and fruits: this cuisine also favors vegetables such as cucumbers, aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), okra and onions, and fruits (primarily citrus), are often used as seasonings for entrees. Olives are a large part of the cuisine as well in addition to dates, figs and pomegranate.

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 between the two regions, and of the current state of affairs in the wealthy oil states, in which many South Asian workers are living abroad in the Arab Gulf states.

Culture

Essential to any cooking in the Arabian Peninsula is the concept of hospitality. Meals are generally large family affairs, with much sharing and a great deal of warmth over the dinner table. Formal dinners and celebrations generally entail large quantities of lamb, and every occasion entails large quantities of Arabic coffee.

In an average Arab Gulf state household, a visitor might expect a dinner consisting of a very large platter, shared commonly, with a vast mountain of rice, incorporating lamb or chicken, or both, as separate dishes, with various stewed vegetables, heavily spiced, sometimes with a tomato sauce. Most likely, there would be several other items on the side, less hearty. Tea would certainly accompany the meal, as it is almost constantly consumed. Coffee would be included as well.

There are many regional differences in Arab cuisine. For instance, mujadara in Syria or Lebanon is different from mujadara in Jordan or Palestine. Some dishes, such as mensaf (the national dish of Jordan), are native to certain countries and rarely if ever make an appearance in other countries.

Unlike in most Western cuisines, cinnamon is used in meat dishes as well as in sweets such as baklava. Other desserts include variations of rice pudding and fried dough. Ground nut mixtures are common fillings for such treats. Saffron is used in everything, from sweets, to rice, to beverages. Fruit juices are quite popular in this often arid region.

Structure of meals

There are two basic structures for meals in the Arab world, a regular structure and a structure specific for the month of Ramadan.

Breakfast

Cafs 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.

Traditionally, however, breakfast used to be a much heavier meal especially for the working class such as lentil soup (shorbat 'adas), or heavy sweets such as knafa. Foul, which is fava beans cooked with garbanzo beans (chick peas), garlic, lemon and olive oil is a popular working class breakfast as well.

Lunch

Lunch is considered the main meal of the day, traditionally eaten after the noon prayer. It is the meal where the family groups together and, when entertaining, it is the meal of choice to invite guests.

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 sauce (often tomato, although others are also popular) to make maraq, which is served on rice. Most households would 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 Al Zabib, Irq soos, Tamr Hindi as well as fruit juices. During the 20th century, Coca-Cola and similar drinks have also become popular.

Dinner

Dinner is traditionally the lightest meal, although in modern times and due to changing lifestyles, dinner has become more important.

Ramadan 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

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. Then soup would be served, the most popular is lentil soup, but a wide variety of soups such as chicken, freeka (a soup made from a form of whole wheat and chicken broth), potato, maash and others. The third course would be the main dish, usually eaten after an interval where Maghreb prayer is conducted.

The main dish is mostly similar to what is usual for lunch, except that cold drinks are also served.

Suhur

Is the meal eaten just before dawn when fasting must begin.

Regional Arab cuisines

Shawarma

Ful Medames

Shish kebab

Maqluba

Couscous

Pickled lemon

Lahm Ba'ajeen

Manakish

Kabsa

Kebbeh -

Ma'amoul

Matboha

Baba Ghanoush

Hummus

Shahan ful

Waraq Enab -

Basbousa

Labneh

Kanafeh

Ka'ak -

Baklawa

Coffee

Hibiscus Tea -

Arabic Coffee

Luqmat al-qadi

Halva

Qatayef

Shish taouk

Toum

Fattoush

Sambusak

Falafel -

Kleicha -

Gulf states

Main article: Arab cuisine of the Persian Gulf

Originally, the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula relied heavily on a diet of dates, wheat, barley, rice and meat, with little variety, with a heavy emphasis on yogurt products, such as leben () (yoghurt without butterfat). As the indigenous Semitic people of the peninsula wandered, so did their tastes and favored ingredients.

Persian Gulf cuisine today is the result of a combination of richly diverse cuisines, incorporating Lebanese cooking, Indian cooking, and many items not indigenous to the Persian Gulf region, which were imported on the dhows and caravans. There is a strong emphasis on the following items in Arabian cuisine: lamb, yogurt, mint, thyme (often in a mix called za'atar), the inescapable tea (preferably Ceylon), sesame, curry powder, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, rice (the staple), and fish. In addition, the cuisine is heavily dosed with anything hot, from hot sauces to every variety of pepper, to tea drunk the hotter the better. This cuisine also favors vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplants, and onions, and fruits (primarily citrus), and often used as seasonings for entrees. Notably, many of the same spices used in Arabian cuisine are also those emphasized in Indian cuisine. This is a result of heavy trading between the two regions, and of the current state of affairs in the wealthy oil states, in which many South Asian workers are living abroad in the Persian Gulf states.

Egypt

Kushari served at an Egyptian restaurant in Cairo.

Main article: Egyptian cuisine

Egyptian cuisine is in a category all its own. Unlike the surrounding Arab cuisines, which place heavy emphasis on meats, Egyptian cuisine is rich in vegetarian dishes; both of the national dishes of Egypt, Ful Medames and kushari, are generally vegetarian.

This section requires expansion.

Maghreb

Couscous is a Maghribi staple

Spices are used extensively in western Arabs food. Contrary to the rest of the Arab world, the most common red meat is beef. However, lamb is still the meat of choice, only avoided due to its higher cost. Dairy products are used less than in other countries in the Arab world.

Among the most famous Tunisian , Moroccan and Algerian dishes are couscous, pastilla (also spelled bsteeya or bastilla), tajine, tanjia and harira. Although the latter is a soup, it is considered as a dish in itself and is served alone or with dates, especially during the month of Ramadan.

The most popular drink is green tea with mint. Traditionally, making good mint tea in Morocco and Algeria is considered an art form and the drinking of it with friends and family members is one of the important rituals of the day. The technique of pouring the tea is as crucial as the quality of the tea. The tea is accompanied with hard sugar cones or lumps.

Somalia

Gashaato, a very popular coconut-based confection, set here to a backdrop of the Somali national flag

Main article Somali cuisine

Somali cuisine varies from region to region and consists of an exotic mixture of native Somali, Ethiopian, Yemeni, Persian, Turkish, Indian and Italian culinary influences. It is the product of Somalia's rich tradition of trade and commerce. Despite the variety, there remains one thing that unites the various regional cuisines: all food is served halal.

Favorite Somali dishes include: Xalwo (halva), a sweet hardened jelly; Soor, a soft cornmeal mashed with fresh milk, butter and sugar, and served with maraq (stew); and Sambuusa, a small fried pasty with meat and vegetable filling.

Sudan

Shahan ful presented alongside olive oil, berbere, various vegetables, and a roll of bread.

In comparison to its North African and Levantine neighbors, the cuisine of Sudan is generally characterized as being stingy on rice but generous on spices, Sudanese food is a fusion cuisine of Egyptian cuisine and Ethiopian cuisine, both of which are very popular in the Western world. Popular dishes include Shahan ful, ful medames, hummus, Gurasa and different types of sweets. Generally, the cuisine of Sudan in the northern half of the country tends to be similar to the cuisine of Egypt.

Yemen

Main article Yemeni cuisine

The cuisine of Yemen is rather distinct from other Arab cuisines. Like most other Arab cuisines, chicken and lamb are eaten more often than beef. Fish is eaten mostly in coastal areas. However, unlike most others, cheese, butter and other dairy products are less common, especially in the cities and other urban areas.

Although each region has its own variation, saltah () is considered the national dish of Yemen. The base is a brown meat stew believed to be of Turkish origin (maraq ), a dollop of fenugreek froth, and sahawiq () or sahowqa (a mixture of chillies, tomatoes, garlic and herbs ground into a salsa.) Rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, and vegetables are common additions to saltah. It is eaten with flat bread, which serves as a utensil to scoop up the food.

Other dishes widely known in Yemen are: Aseed, Fahsa, Thareed, Samak Mofa, Lahm Mandi, Fattah, Shafut, Bint AlSahn, Jachnun.

As with other Arab cuisines, the most widespread beverages are tea and coffee, tea usually with cardamom or mint and coffee with cardamom. Karakaden, Naqe'e Al Zabib and Diba are the most widespread cold beverages.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Arabic cuisine

Muslim dietary laws

Halaal

References

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

^ Nabeel Y. Abraham. "Arab Americans," Encarta Encyclopedia 2007. Archived 2009-10-31.

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Asian cuisine

Sovereign

states

Afghanistan Armenia1 Azerbaijan1 Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma2 Cambodia People's Republic of China Cyprus1 East Timor3 Egypt4 Georgia4 India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan4 North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia4 Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Republic of China5 Thailand Turkey4 Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen

States with limited

recognition

Abkhazia1 Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine South Ossetia1

Dependencies,

autonomies,

other territories

Aceh Adjara1 Akrotiri and Dhekelia Altai British Indian Ocean Territory Buryatia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Guangxi Hong Kong Inner Mongolia Iraqi Kurdistan Khakassia Macau Nakhchivan Ningxia Papua Sakha Republic Tibet Tuva West Papua Xinjiang

1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.

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African cuisine

Sovereign

states

Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Cte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt1 Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda So Tom and Prncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

States with limited

recognition

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland

Dependencies,

autonomies,

other territories

Canary Islands/ Ceuta/ Melilla/ Plazas de soberana (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte/ Runion (France) Puntland (Somalia) Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Southern Sudan (Sudan) Zanzibar (Tanzania)

1 Transcontinental country.

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Middle Eastern cuisine

Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen

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Cuisine of the Mediterranean

Northern Africa

Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia

Southern Europe

Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia France Gibraltar Greece Italy Malta Montenegro Portugal Slovenia Spain

European regions

Andalusia Balearics Catalonia Corsica Occitania Sicily Valencia

Caucasus and Middle East

Armenia Cyprus Israel Lebanon Palestine Syria Turkey

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Cuisine (List of cuisines)

Regional

Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Latin America Mediterranean Middle East North America Oceania South Asia

Historical

Ancient Egyptian Ancient Greek Ancient Roman Historical Chinese Historical Indian Medieval Ottoman

Styles

Fast food Fusion Immigrant

Types of Food

Confectionery Dairy products Fruit Herbs/ Spices Meat Vegetable

Carbohydrate Staples

Bread Cassava Pasta Potato Quinoa Rice Sweet Potato Yam

Types of Dish

Curry Dip Pizza Salad Sandwich Sauce Soup Stew

Technical

Eating utensils Food preparation utensils Techniques Weights and measures

See also

Kitchen Meal (Breakfast Lunch Dinner) Wikibooks:Cookbook

Categories: Arab cuisine | Middle Eastern cuisine | Mediterranean cuisine | Arabic cultureHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from March 2008 | All articles lacking sources | Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from June 2009 | All articles needing copy edit | Articles needing cleanup from June 2009 | All pages needing cleanup | Articles to be expanded from June 2008 | All articles to be expanded | Articles needing additional references from February 2008 | All articles needing additional references

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