Levantine cuisine

Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant, in the sense of the rough area of former Bilad al-Sham. The cuisine has similarities with Egyptian cuisine, North African cuisine and Ottoman cuisine. It is particularly known for its meze spreads of hot and cold dishes, most notably among them Manakish pies, kibbeh, ful medames, hummus, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush, accompanied by bread.

History

The history of Levantine cuisine can be traced back to the early civilizations that flourished in the region, such as the Arameans, Canaanites, Israelites, Phoenicians, Hittites, and Arabians. These ancient cultures developed complex agricultural systems, producing grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that would become staples of the Levantine diet. Bread, olive oil, and wine were integral to the cuisine from the very beginning, and remain so today.
Many recipes and practices common to Levantine cuisine were recorded in historical cookbooks, like the 13th century Kitab al-Wuslah ila l-habib from Aleppo and Ustadh al-Tabbakhin by 19th century Lebanese author.
Levantine diets shifted drastically between the 1960s and the 1990s, early studies from that era described them as largely seasonal, plant-based, and low to moderate in animal product consumption, whereas later studies described them as consuming more processed foods, animal products and refined carbohydrates. Such seasonal foods were traditionally preserved using pickling, fermentation, and drying.

Levantine dishes

Classic

Mezes or small dishes

Baba ghanoush —a dip made from baked, mashed eggplant mixed with lemon, garlic, olive oil and various seasonings

Chickpea salad or salatat hummus —an Arab salad with cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, salt, olive oil, and cuminFalafel —spiced mashed chickpeas formed into balls or fritters and deep fried, usually eaten with or in pita bread with hummus

File:Fattoush.JPG|thumb|Fattoush is a Levantine pita bread salad that includes mixed greens and other vegetables.Fattoush —a salad of chopped cucumber, radish, tomato and other vegetables, with fried or toasted pita breadFul medames —ground fava beans and olive oil also prepared in Syria as a salad with fava beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and saltHummus —a thick paste or spread made from ground chickpeas and olive oil, lemon, and garlic; also common in EgyptKibbeh —a dumpling-like dish of ground lamb with bulgur wheat or rice and seasonings, eaten cooked or rawKibbeh nayyeh —a mezze of minced raw meat mixed with fine bulgur and various seasoningsLabneh —yogurt that has been strained to remove its whey; most popular as a breakfast food

Lentil soup —may be vegetarian or include meat, using brown, red, yellow or black lentils, with or without the huskMakanek—Arabic sausage made from ground meat spiced with pine nuts, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and served with pomegranate molasses.Manakish —a pizza-like flatbread garnished with minced meat, thyme or za'atar, commonly eaten for breakfast or dinnerMfarakeh —an Arab dish made of potato, egg, ghee, cumin powder, salt and pepper, with chopped coriander leaf as garnishMuhammara —a hot pepper dip made from fresh or dried peppers, breadcrumbs, olive oil, spices and ground walnutsRaheb —a salad with aubergines and tomatoes, popular in the Middle East.
Sambusac —a triangular savory pastry fried in ghee or oil with spiced vegetables or meatSfiha —open-faced meat pies made with ground mutton, lamb or beefShanklish —cow's or sheep's milk cheese formed into balls, rolled in Aleppo pepper and za'atar, then aged and driedShawarma —roasted meat, cooked on a revolving spit and shaved for serving in sandwichesTabbouleh —a salad of bulgur mixed with finely chopped parsley, minced onions and tomatoes

Main dishes

Bamia —a stew prepared with chunks of lamb meat with okra in a tomato-based sauce, served over riceDolma —vegetables, typically eggplants, zucchinis, onions, peppers or tomatoes, stuffed with minced meat and riceFasoulia —a stew prepared with white beans and meat served over riceFatteh —chicken over rice, topped with yogurt and pita breadFreekeh —a cereal food made from green durum wheat that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour, then served with cumin, cinnamon, and fresh lamb-tail fatHarees–Cracked wheat and meat porridge or gruel with seasoningKabsa —a rice-based dish commonly eaten with meat, lamb or chicken, cooked in a variety of spices and topped with nuts over rice and prepared in Syria and GazaKebab —a dish of ground beef or lamb, grilled or roasted on a skewerKebab karaz —a type of kebab made of lamb meatballs in a cherry-based broth with pine nuts and sour cherries over pita breadKousa mahshi —zucchinis baked and stuffed with minced meat and rice in a tomato-based sauceMalfouf –rolled cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat and spicesMansaf —lamb or chicken cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served over riceMaqluba —a rice-based casserole with meat, rice, and fried vegetables in a pot, which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name, which literally translates as "upside-down"Mujaddara —cooked lentils with groats, generally rice, garnished with sautéed onionsMulukhiyah —a stew cooked with mallow leaves, mucillagenous like okra, eaten with chicken in a thick brothMusakhan —a classic Palestinian dish, a whole roasted chicken baked with onions, sumac, allspice, saffron, and fried pine nuts served over taboon breadQarymutah, a simple way to prepare bulgur in rural areas of Homs, Hama and Salamiyah. Bulgur is cooked with vegetables and wrapped in grape leavesQidreh —a lamb stew with chickpeas, garlic and spices, commonly served over riceQuzi —a hearty dish of roasted lamb with raisins, nuts and spices over rice or wrapped in taboon breadShish kebab —grilled or roasted chunks of meat on a skewer, commonly served over flatbread or riceSumaghiyyeh —ground sumac is soaked in water then mixed with tahina, water and flour, added to sautéed chopped chard, pieces of slow-stewed beef, and garbanzo beansZibdieh —a clay-pot dish of shrimp baked in a stew of olive oil, garlic, hot peppers, and peeled tomatoes

Breads

Ka'ak —a type of biscuit/cookie shaped into a ring, occasionally sprinkled with sesame seedsMarkook —a thin, unleavened flatbread baked on an iron griddle known as saj

Pita —a soft, slightly leavened flatbread baked from wheat flour

Condiments

Tahini —condiment made of ground and hulled sesame seeds, primary ingredient baba ghanoush and hummusToum —a paste containing garlic, olive oil and salt, typically used as a dipZa'atar —a condiment of dried herbs mixed with sesame seeds, dried sumac, and often salt, as well as other spices

Sweets

Awameh —a Fried [dough foods|fried-dough] Levantine pastry similar to doughnut holes, made of deep-fried dough soaked in sugar syrup or honey and cinnamon, sometimes sprinkled with sesame seedsBasbousa —a Middle-Eastern small, sweet cake of cooked semolina soaked in rose water syrup, topped with almonds or walnuts

Halawet el Jibn —is a Levantine dessert made of a semolina and cheese dough, filled with qishta. Its origins are somewhere from central Syria.Knafeh —a dessert made with shredded filo and melted cheese soaked in a sugary syrupMa'amoul —semolina shortbread cookies filled with dates or walnuts, commonly sprinkled with sugarMeghli –a floured rice pudding spiced with anise, caraway and cinnamon and garnished with coconut flakes and nutsQatayef —a dessert commonly served during the month of Ramadan, a sweet dumpling filled with cream or nutsWarbat —a sweet pastry with thin layers of phyllo pastry filled with custard, popularly eaten during RamadanZalabia —a fried dough pastry shaped as balls or discs, often dipped in a sweet syrup

Drinks

Limonana —lemonade made from freshly-squeezed lemon juice and mint leavesQamar al-Din —a thick, cold apricot drink typically served during the month of Ramadan

Preserved foods

In Levantine countries, mouneh is the practice of preserving seasonal foods for times of scarcity, these includes syrups, jams, dried foods, pickles, among others. Brining in salt is traditionally one of the primary preservaton methods, meats were traditionally preserved in fat.Jameed -dried yogurtMakdous -oil-cured miniature auberginesMurabba -spiced sweet fruit preservesDibs -grape syrupPomegranate molasses -sweet and sour syrup made by boiling pomegranatesSamneh -spiced clarified butterBastirma -preserved spiced meatMaqaniq -intestine sausages

Contemporary

Malfouf salad —a cabbage salad with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and mint

Geographical varieties of Levantine cuisine

Lebanese writer Anissa Helou noted that Palestinian, Jordanian, and southern Syrian cuisines are higher in fat and more subdued in flavor compared to other Levantine cuisines.