Middle Eastern Cuisine

Middle Eastern cuisine is the cuisine of the various countries and peoples of the Middle East. The cuisine of the region is diverse while having a degree of homogeneity. It includes Arab cuisine, Egyptian cuisine, Iranian cuisine, Israeli cuisine/Jewish cuisine, Assyrian cuisine, Armenian cuisine, Kurdish cuisine, Greek cuisine/Cypriot cuisine and Turkish cuisine Some commonly used ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates,sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley. Some popular dishes include Kebabs, Dolma, and Doner Kebab (similar to Shawarma).

The Middle East includes the region formerly known as the Fertile Crescent (the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers - Sumeria, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia), where wheat was first cultivated, followed by barley, pistachios, figs, pomegranates, dates and other regional staples. Fermentation was also discovered here to leaven bread and make beer in Mesopotamia, and the earliest written recipes come from that region also.