Middle Eastern cuisine considers Western Asian countries, including Iraq, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Among the countries usually associated with Mediterranean cuisine are those bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece, Italy, Morocco and Libya. Some countries, such as Israel, Turkey and Lebanon, are on both sides of the line that separates the two regions and can be included in either region. It made me think of the standard menu at the Chinese restaurant.
With beef, broccoli, and bittersweet pork, etc., all of which come from China or are an invention of a Chinese immigrant, but you would never see them together in China. They were brought in by immigrants from different parts of China with different local cultures, and they blended together to form a coherent Chinese food menu. Did something similar happen with Mediterranean food and with the immigrants from the chaos that followed the fall of the Ottoman Empire? If not, where does this idea of a unified Mediterranean meal (that's primarily Greek, Turkish, and Arabic, not Italian or Spanish) come from? Although Middle Eastern cuisine usually includes kebabs, falafel and shawarma, and Mediterranean food usually consists of pizzas, types of pasta and gyroscopes, there are some similarities in the food palette of both. Mediterranean cuisine is the food of the different cultures that share the Mediterranean Sea.
By comparison, Middle Eastern food is food from the Middle Eastern region. These are regions such as Arab, Iranian, Turkish, Israeli, etc. Being close to the sea will surely have some impact on the way food is prepared. North African cuisine, in particular Moroccan and Egyptian, incorporates flavors from African, Arab and Mediterranean cultures. These dishes often include spices such as cumin, coriander and turmeric, as well as ingredients such as couscous, dates and figs.
Middle Eastern cuisine includes several Middle Eastern cuisines. The most common ingredients are olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice, and parsley, and the most popular dishes are kebabs, dolmas, falafel, baklava, yogurt, doner kebab, shawarma, and the Mulukhiyah. The Mediterranean diet has gained recognition for its ability to improve blood pressure levels and contribute to better cardiovascular health. The Mediterranean region, with its strategic location at the crossroads of Africa, Europe and Asia, has been a center of commercial and cultural interaction for centuries, resulting in a fascinating fusion of culinary traditions.
Mediterranean food refers to the culinary traditions and eating habits of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, Spain, and the Middle East. In short, the Mediterranean diet's low carbohydrate intake and the low to moderate glycemic index of foods help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 30%. The very idea of a Mediterranean combination, whether onions, olive oil and tomatoes or some other combination, completely presupposes not only a shared history but a unified history, an imaginary moment in which the Mediterranean presented a unique culture that, over time, like a language, divided, branched out and flourished in the wild variety of contemporary cuisine. Carol Helstosky, author of the book Food Culture in the Mediterranean (200), is one of the authors who use Mediterranean cuisine interchangeably with Mediterranean food.
For example, Middle Eastern dishes tend to be more spicy and salty, while Mediterranean cuisine is known for its lighter touch and for focusing on seafood and fresh vegetables. Grapes are mainly cultivated to make wine and vinegar as basic components of the Mediterranean diet, as well as to be dried as raisins or to be eaten as table grapes. Halloumi, a semi-hard cheese with a high melting point, is also popular in Mediterranean cuisine and is commonly used in grilled or baked dishes. Shellfish, nuts and seeds are an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, known for their numerous health benefits.
In addition, foods in the Mediterranean diet generally have a low to moderate glycemic index (GI). The Mediterranean diet has been studied extensively and has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Mediterranean diet encourages the consumption of unprocessed cheeses such as Brie and Swiss, as they are less likely to contain additives and preservatives. Mediterranean cuisine often uses olive oil as the main cooking fat and often includes fresh herbs such as oregano and mint, along with lots of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
