For the Middle East, the increased 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. Middle Eastern people don't eat as much pasta, but prefer grains such as bulgur wheat, rice, barley, and wheat berries. This is seen in traditional foods such as mujaddara (lentils and rice cooked with onions and caramelized herbs) and kibbeh bil sanieh (a layered dish with ground beef, wheat and spices). The focus is on fresh products, intense flavors and simple preparation.
Essentially, Mediterranean cuisine is comprised of plant foods and minimally processed staples where herbs and spices are essential ingredients. What do we really mean by “Mediterranean diet”? As it gets warmer, many of us may enjoy a more Mediterranean diet, borrowing cuisine and recipes from our European neighbors. Discover 5 Mediterranean foods that are commonly eaten throughout the Mediterranean basin. The “Mediterranean diet” is rich in fruits and vegetables, cereals, nuts and fish, and contains little meat and dairy products.
1 UNESCO defines the Mediterranean diet as “the intangible culture of Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Portugal”, implying that Mediterranean foods would be those traditionally associated with these countries, 2 but geographically, “the Mediterranean” includes the 22 countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.
Although the traditional foods of Eastern Mediterranean nations, such as Egypt, Turkey and Israel, may at first seem quite different from the “Mediterranean diet” defined by UNESCO, a large part of their foods share many characteristics with those of Spain, Greece or Italy, so they can be considered another type of “Mediterranean food”.
Fish is consumed much more regularly than meat in almost all Mediterranean cultures, in part because they share the coast. Mediterranean people don't care what fish they eat, as long as it's fresh, locally caught and simply cooked, often in soups or stews such as Italian caccio or Greek psarosoupa or simply roasted in the oven with potatoes. This is where the differences between the different countries in the basin become more evident, since meat tends to play a much larger role. important in foods from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.Sardine skewers cooked on hot coals are a typical food from Malaga, in southern Spain. The Mediterranean diet includes relatively few dairy products, but this hasn't stopped Mediterranean countries from making some world-famous cheeses, such as iconic cow's milk cheeses, such as mozzarella or Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy, or delicious sheep and goat milk cheeses, such as feta and halloumi from Greece. Other Mediterranean cheeses have not garnered international fame, but they are still an important part of the local diet, such as the unusual sourdough from Egypt or the many fresh white cheeses from Turkey (known locally as beyaz peynir), which are traditionally served with breakfast. Despite the relatively minor role of meat in the Mediterranean diet, many popular dried, salted, or cured meats come from Mediterranean cultures.
From the salami and prosciutto of Italy to the chorizo of Spain, and from the saucisson sec of France to the sujuk of Turkey, most European nations claim to have popular dried and cured meat. Similar meat products are also traditionally popular in North Africa, in places such as Egypt, Algeria and Morocco, although they are less well known outside of local communities. While Mediterranean foods such as these are a key part of the Mediterranean diet, there are other shared characteristics in the way in which the foods found in many countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are produced, prepared and eaten. For example, in many Mediterranean communities, traditional methods of growing and cooking food remain an essential part of the “Mediterranean diet”.Mediterranean food is more than you think.
Here are some examples of Mediterranean foods that you may not have heard of. The living earth beneath our feet EIT Food is supported by the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) UBICENTER A, Philipssite 5 bus 34, 3001 Heverlee (Leuven), Belgium. Mediterranean food encompasses the culinary traditions of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco, among others. This diverse cuisine shares certain common characteristics that make it distinct and attractive.
It emphasizes the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, such as olive oil, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and lean meats. The mild climate of the Mediterranean region also contributes to the rich variety of flavors by allowing the cultivation of a large amount of fruits, herbs and spices. Mediterranean cuisine is defined by the foods and preparation methods used by the inhabitants of the Mediterranean region. When it comes to delicious and healthy cuisine, Mediterranean food stands out as a vibrant and tasty option. If you want to try some of the best Mediterranean dishes, simply make a reservation at The Black Olive.
The ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine are to some extent different from those in Northern European cuisine, with olive oil instead of butter and wine instead of beer. 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. Finally, in a true Mediterranean dish that includes pasta, the pasta must be cooked al dente, that is, tender, but still firm. The region's historical connections, as well as the impact of the Mediterranean Sea on the region's climate and economy, mean that these cuisines share dishes that go beyond the main trio of oil, bread and wine, such as roasted lamb or lamb, meat stews with vegetables and tomatoes (for example, Spanish rags), vegetable stews (ratatouille Provenzal, Spanish ratatouille, Italian ciambotta) and cured fish roe, botargo, which are found throughout the region.
Once again, eating fruits and vegetables as part of a Mediterranean diet is an important source of antioxidants for the body. Mediterranean cuisine uses more sweet and aromatic spices, such as oregano, thyme, basil, coriander, paprika, fennel, tarragon, sage and rosemary. Originally from the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, this cuisine is renowned for its fresh ingredients, balanced flavors and varied cooking techniques. Although technically found in North Africa, Moroccan cuisine is often considered part of Mediterranean cuisine because of its cultural and culinary connections.
However, there is an enormous variety of ways in which Mediterranean foods use crops such as wheat, for example, converting it into pasta. Mediterranean cuisine is defined by the presence of fundamental elements that, it is said, play a more important role than others, since they reflect a community of beliefs and practices that transcends religions, languages and even societies. Portuguese vegetables include the tomatoes common in Mediterranean cuisine, but also kale, carrots and beans.
