Middle Eastern cuisine

A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: gāmāl) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus Camelus that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provide food (camel milk and meat) and textiles (fiber and felt from camel hair). Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo. There are three surviving species of camel. The one-humped dromedary makes up 94% of the world's camel population, and the two-humped Bactrian camel makes up 6%. The

Kebab ( , ), kebap, kabob (alternative North American spelling), kebob, or kabab (Hindi and Kashmiri spelling) is a variety of roasted meat dishes that originated in the Middle East.

A samosa () () is a fried Indian pastry with a savoury filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can include cheese such as paneer, meat or even fish. Its name originates from the Middle Persian word sambosag () (meaning 'triangular pastry'). It is made in different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions containing traditional Indian flavours or even chocolate are also made. Samosas are popular snacks in South As

Pilaf (), pilav, pilau or plov () is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables and meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere.

Baklava (, or ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with either syrup or honey.

Couscous () is a traditional North African dish of small steamed granules of rolled semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.

Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is Rhus coriaria that is most commonly used for culinary purposes. Sumac is prized as a spice—especially in Arab cuisine, and other Eastern cuisines—and used as a dye and holistic remedy. The plants grow in subtropical and temperate regions, on nearly every continent except Antarctica and South America. It holds cultural significance as a symbolic item on the Haft-sin table during N

Lavash (; ) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (tonir or tanoor) or on a sajj, and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, West Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is widespread in Armenia.

Turkish gelatinous candy

Tahini (; , or, in Iraq, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment (a seed butter) made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself (as a dip), made into a salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, or halva.

thumb|Kiwifruit smoothie

Pita ( or ; ; ) or pitta (British English), also known as Arabic bread, Arab bread (), Syrian bread, Lebanese bread, and pide (Turkish) is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket. In the United Kingdom, the term is used for pocket versions such as the Greek pita, used for barbecues as a souvlaki wrap. The Western name pita may sometimes be used to refer to various other types of flatbreads that have different names in their local languages, s

culinary traditions of Turkey

flavoured water made by distilling rose petals with water

species of wheat

thumb|Individual portion of shakshouka

thumb|A Portuguese-made tagine pot A tagine or tajine, also tajin or tagin () is a Maghrebi dish, and the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. It is also called or .

thumb|upright|Boza from Turkey Boza, also bosa, is a fermented beverage originating from Central Asia and made in Turkey, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and North Africa. It is a malt drink made by fermenting various grains: millet, wheat (or bulgur) and maize (corn) in Turkey. It is one of the oldest Turkic beverages. It has a thick consistency, a low alcohol content (around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor.

thumb|Koofteh Tabrizi from Iran Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in South Asian, Central Asian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, and South Caucasian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meat—usually beef, chicken, lamb or mutton, camel, seldom pork, or a mixture—mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients. The earliest known recipes are found in early Turkish cookbooks and call for ground lamb.

Meze ( ; also spelled mezze or mezé) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian stuzzichini. A meze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. Meze are often served with spirits such as arak, rakia, raki, oghi, ouzo, or grappa at meyhane and ouzeri.

Levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and tahini

culinary traditions of Iran

Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta ( ; or ; ) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in Central Asia, Turkic regions, some Balkan countries, some Caucasus countries, and the Levant.

cuisine of the Arabs

Sujuk, sugou or sucuk (/suːˈd͡ʒʊk/) is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Anatolian, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly used in Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ; ) is a popular dish in the Arab world and the Levant in particular, made of spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Lebanon and Syria.

Kabsa (), also known as Makboos () or Machboos ( ), is an Arab mixed rice dish that originates from Saudi Arabia or Yemen. It is commonly regarded as a national dish in all the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It can also be found in regions such as southern Iran and Gaza in Palestine.

Filo, phyllo or yufka is a very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as baklava and börek. Filo-based pastries are made by layering many sheets of filo brushed with oil or butter; the pastry is then baked.

culinary traditions of Egypt

dairy product

Harira () is a traditional North African soup prepared in Morocco and Algeria, with many variations. Harira is popular as a starter, and is also eaten on its own as a light snack. It is mostly served during Ramadan, although it can be made throughout the year.

Simit is a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds or, less commonly, poppy, flax or sunflower seeds, found across the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and the Middle East, especially in Armenia, Turkey and the Balkans. Simit's size, crunch, chewiness, and other characteristics vary slightly by region.

thumb|right|Pastirma

culinary traditions of Israel

culinary traditions of Jewish communities around the world

Koshary, kushari or koshari ( ) is Egypt's national dish and a widely popular street food. It is a traditional Egyptian staple, mixing pasta, Egyptian fried rice, vermicelli and brown lentils, and topped with chickpeas, a garlicky tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and crispy fried onions. Sprinklings of garlic vinegar and hot sauce are optional.

Syrian salad of fava beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and salt)

type of regional cuisine

thumb|Turşu in Turkey Torshi, tursu or turshi () are the pickled vegetables of many Middle Eastern, Caucasian, Slavic and Balkan cuisines.

type of food

Kashk, kishk, ( Kašk, ), () qurut, qurt, kurut, kurt, qqet, jameed, shilanch (Tuvan and , , , , , Tajik: қурут, ), chortan ( chort’an), aaruul or khuruud (Mongolian: ааруул or хурууд) is a range of dairy products popular in Iranian cuisine, Caucasian cuisine, and Central Asian cuisine. Kashk is made from strained yogurt, drained buttermilk (in particular, drained qatiq) or drained sour milk by shaping it and letting it dry. It can be made in a variety of forms: rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks.

culinary traditions of Lebanon

Orzo (, ; ; from Latin ), also known in Italy as '''''' (; 'large [grains of] rice'), and popular in Greek cuisine as kritharaki (κριθαράκι), is a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is made from flour, often with semolina.

milk produced by female camels

thumb|Assorted qatayef Qatayef, katayef, atayef or '''qata'if''' ( ) is an Arabic dessert. It is a type of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts, or a filled folded pancake with a thickness similar to a Scottish crumpet.

Joshpara is a kind of dumpling popular in Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Middle East. They are made of unleavened wheat dough squares filled with ground meat and condiments.

Lahoh ( ; ) is a type of spongy flatbread eaten regularly in Yemen, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Saudi Arabia. Yemenite Jewish immigrants popularized the dish in Israel. It is called canjeero/canjeelo in southern Somalia and called lahoh in Somaliland, Djibouti, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Avgolemono ( or literally egg–lemon) is a family of sauces and soups made with egg yolk and lemon juice mixed with broth, heated until they thicken.

Keşkek, also known as kashkak, kashkek, or keške, is a ceremonial meat or chicken and wheat or barley stew found in Turkish, Iranian, Greek, Armenian, and Balkan cuisines.

culinary traditions of Iraq

culinary traditions of Palestine

thumb|Kadayif strands, used for preparing different desserts, including knafeh and [[tel kadayıf]] Kadaif, kadayif, kadayıf, kataifi, kadaifi, katayef or kataïf () is a family of Middle Eastern pastry products. In modern Turkish usage, kadayıf often refers specifically to fine shredded pastry dough used in desserts such as knafeh and tel kadayıf. Depending on context, the term may refer either to the dough itself or to finished desserts made from it.

cuisine of the Kurdish people

culinary traditions of Cyprus

Pastilla (, also called a bastilla or a North African pie) is a meat or seafood pie in Maghrebi cuisine made with warqa dough (), which is similar to filo. It is a specialty of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, where its variation is known as malsouka. It has more recently been spread by emigrants to France, Israel, and North America. thumb|Poultry pastilla ornately dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon

culinary traditions of Syria

dish

Brik ( ; ) or burek is the North African version of borek, a stuffed malsouka pastry which is commonly deep fried. The best-known version is the Tunisian egg brik, known as Brik à l'œuf; a whole egg in a triangular pastry pocket with chopped onion, tuna, harissa and parsley. With a slightly different shape, but with identical ingredients and method of preparation, the brik is known in Algeria and Libya as bourek (). It is often filled with a raw egg and herbs or tuna, harissa and olives and is sometimes served in a pita. This is also known as a boreeka. It is also widespread in Eastern Algeria