A Mediterranean may apply to Arab people whose countries are geographically adjacent to the Mediterranean, but this does not apply to all Arabs. Countries often associated with Mediterranean cuisine most often include those bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece, Italy, Morocco and Libya. Middle Eastern cuisine takes into account Western Asian countries, such as Iraq, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Some countries, such as Israel, Turkey and Lebanon, lie on both sides of the line between the two regions and can be included in either of them.
Middle Eastern food and Mediterranean cuisine fall into the same category, since both use olive oil, have a similar palette of spices, use a lot of fruits and vegetables in food preparation and have some similar dietary preferences. In the middle of the 8th century, the Byzantines regained control of the area surrounding the northeastern part of the Mediterranean. The history of the Mediterranean region is crucial for understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. There was a resident population of orcas in the Mediterranean until the 1980s, when they became extinct, probably due to prolonged exposure to PCBs.
Gibraltar's high mountain ranges were thought to prevent the entry of Atlantic waters until approximately 5.5 million years ago, when they broke through and flooded the Mediterranean. In the case of the Middle East, the increasing use of legumes such as lentils for soups and beans for dishes such as ful mudammas is a major factor that distinguishes their cuisine from the Mediterranean diet. This limit begins in the west with the Strait of Gibraltar, the thirteen-kilometer-wide channel that connects the Mediterranean to the Atlantic in the west and separates Morocco from Spain in the north. There, the development of the Intramontane Bético and Rif basins created two approximately parallel marine walkways between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Darius I of Persia, who conquered Ancient Egypt, built a canal that linked the Red Sea to the Nile and, therefore, to the Mediterranean. This led to a preference for Mediterranean countries and their ports, such as Trieste, with direct connections to Central and Eastern Europe, experienced rapid economic growth. The 163 km (101 miles) long artificial Suez Canal, in the southeast, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea without the need for locks, because the water level is essentially the same. Mediterranean cuisine uses sweeter and more aromatic spices, such as oregano, thyme, basil, coriander, paprika, fennel, tarragon, sage and rosemary.
For 4,000 years, human activity has transformed most of Mediterranean Europe, and the humanization of the landscape overlapped with the appearance of the current Mediterranean climate. Whatever wording is chosen, they represent a threat to the native biodiversity of the Mediterranean, because they are not indigenous to this sea. However, a Mediterranean gyroscope is usually filled with tomatoes, red onions, and tzatziki (a sauce made with yogurt and cucumbers); Middle Eastern shawarma, on the other hand, is often topped with tahini (a condiment made from sesame seeds) and a variety of pickled fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean region is one of the most geologically active maritime areas in the world, located in a complex tectonic border area between the European and African plates.
