What is Middle Eastern Cuisine?
While numerous innovations from the Arabian peninsula influence our lives today, from the numbers we use to the politics we hear,
Middle Eastern Mediterranean Food has also made its way to dinner tables throughout the world. While most people are familiar with shish kebab, kofta kebab, and other famous street foods like falafel, Mediterranean cuisine has many more nuanced and delectable flavours to offer.
This book will give you an insight into everything from the components that make up the Middle Eastern kitchen to some simple dishes you may attempt at home, from rose water sweets to lemony stews.
What a Main Dish from the Middle East Looks Like Around the World
Whether you’re accustomed to scrumptious baklava, a pistachio-based dessert, or are addicted to Turkish coffee, there are a plethora of ways in which Mediterranean cuisine has been adapted throughout the world.
There has been a boom of Middle Eastern eateries in recent decades, not only in the UK but also internationally. With dishes such as stuffed vegetables, shish kebab, spiced figs and pistachios, and spiced figs and pistachios, it’s easy to understand why this cuisine is gaining popularity.
Asia is likely to share the greatest parallels with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s easy to understand why when you look at the history of mobility and civilisation on the global stage.
Whether it’s due to a similar trading history or a shared faith, the Middle East and Asia have created some of the same foods. While you’re unlikely to find it at a Middle Eastern restaurant, Indian chicken biryani may be found in Iraq.
While biryani may be traced back to Muslim populations in India, it is also a traditional meal that has grown in popularity in Iraq’s Kurdish areas.
Why middle eastern lamb is roasted on Easter?
On Holy Saturday, Greeks over the world are hard at work preparing the lamb for the Easter feast the following day. Before the lamb is placed on the spit, or souvla, lemon juice, herbs, salt, and spices are rubbed into the skin to infuse it with flavour. The manner of preparing the lamb varies according to family and location of Greece. Some people roast the whole lamb on a spit, while others broil the legs on the grill, and yet others roast it in the oven.
Greeks aren’t the only ones who think this way. It’s a traditional Easter dish in many cultures, particularly in Europe. Where did the Easter tradition of roasting lamb come from?
Learn how to cook a lamb on a souvla or spit by clicking here.
This dinner is usually served during Pascha or Easter. Some families eat their lamb first thing in the morning after returning from Holy Saturday services because they are anxious to break the fast. Others wait till the full Greek family and friends arrive later in the day to celebrate.
Lamb is mentioned in the Bible.
Lamb’s religious importance dates back to the Old Testament. When God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son in Genesis 22. Abraham followed God and began making arrangements for his sacrifice. “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Isaac said as he saw what his father was doing. Even though he didn’t want to, Abraham was willing to do what God asked of him. When God recognised Abraham’s willingness to comply, He commanded him to stop. Instead, Abraham slaughtered a neighbouring lamb. Lambs were sacrificed to God in the Old Testament to atone for their sins.
Lamb is mentioned in the Old Testament.
The theological importance of lamb dates back to the Old Testament. In Genesis 22, God requested Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham obeyed God and prepared for his sacrifice. When Isaac observed what his father was preparing, he questioned, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Though he didn’t want to, Abraham was willing to do what God asked of him. When God saw that Abraham was eager to comply, He commanded him to halt. Abraham instead slaughtered a neighbouring lamb. Lambs were sacrificed as a sacrifice to God in the Old Testament to atone for their sins.
Souvla Lamb Preparation
The way the lamb is prepared varies depending on the household and even the location of Greece. By far the most frequent method of cooking lamb in Greece is to place it whole on a souvla, or spit. Though automated spits that turn automatically are available, they are quite uncommon. Instead, rotating the lamb in turns is an important component of the feast. In some households, the males are in charge of the lamb while the ladies handle the rest of the preparations.
