Mediterranean cuisine is the food and preparation methods used by the inhabitants of the Mediterranean basin. The idea of Mediterranean cuisine originated in A Book of Mediterranean Food, by cooking writer Elizabeth David, and was amplified by other writers who worked in English. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats. Eat mostly vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of fat.
The Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and many other chronic conditions. A dietitian can help you customize your diet to fit your needs. Are you looking for authentic traditional Mediterranean food? Here's a collection of authentic Mediterranean food recipes. These come from a variety of different Mediterranean countries. Many writers define the three central elements of cooking as olives, wheat and grapes, which produce olive oil, bread and pasta, and wine; other writers deny that the diverse foods of the Mediterranean basin constitute a cuisine at all.
A common definition of the geographical area covered, proposed by David, follows the distribution of the olive tree. There is no single Mediterranean diet, but general guidelines suggest focusing on healthy plant foods and a moderate intake of dairy products and fish or seafood. 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 eaten as table grapes. Because the Mediterranean diet doesn't have a very strict set of guidelines, you can have some flexibility so you don't have to stress out when going to a restaurant. Since David wrote about Mediterranean food in 1950 and, in fact, since dietary researchers demonstrated in the 1950s that people from the Mediterranean had less coronary heart disease than people from Northern Europe, traditional Mediterranean ways of living and eating have changed.
People living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea have lower rates of coronary heart disease and certain types of cancer, even though their diets contain a relatively high percentage of fat. Some writers also include areas that don't touch the Mediterranean Sea or that support olive cultivation, including Serbian, Macedonian and Portuguese cuisine. A recent study even found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet can greatly improve mental and cognitive health. The idea of Mediterranean cuisine originated in A Book of Mediterranean Food (1950), by the cooking writer Elizabeth David, and was amplified by other writers who worked in English. Since the typical Mediterranean diet prioritizes enjoying the dining experience, these heart-healthy recipes are at the forefront of tasty ingredients, so you'll never feel deprived of anything.
In addition to protecting your heart, the Mediterranean diet can help prevent or control many other conditions. More recently, a study was published that examined more than 22,000 adults in Greece and their adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet. From Gibraltar to the Bosphorus, through the Rhone Valley, through the large seaports of Marseille, Barcelona and Genoa, through Tunisia and Alexandria, covering all the islands of the Mediterranean, Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, the Cyclades and Cyprus (where Byzantine influence is beginning to be felt), to the Greek mainland and the highly contested territories of Syria, Lebanon, Constantinople and Izmir. The diet consumed by people living in Mediterranean countries has been a topic of interest since ancient times, and the most recent research focused on its health benefits. Mediterranean cuisine encompasses the ways in which these and other ingredients, including meat, are treated in the kitchen, whether they are healthy or not.
Mediterranean food is dynamic and diverse, encompassing flavors from many cultures and countries, from Southern Europe to North Africa and the Middle East.
