Syrian cuisine


Syrian cuisine is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine that traces back to ancient civilization in Syria and the region. Syrian specialties makes use of eggplant, zucchini, garlic, meat, sesame seeds, rice, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, steak, cabbage, cauliflower, vine leaves, pickled turnips, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, pistachios, honey and fruits.
Selections of appetizers known as mezze are customarily served along with Arabic bread before the Syrian meal's main course, which is followed by coffee, with sweet confections or fruits at will. Many recipes date from at least the 13th century.

Foods

''[Meze]''

NameDescription
Baba ghanoush/ mtabbal eggplant mashed and mixed with seasonings
Baterish mashed roasted eggplant
Falafel a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both
Fasolia bizzeit green beans with olive oil, lemon and garlic
Fatteh pieces of Arabic bread covered with other ingredients
Fattetil-makdus Fatteh with makdous and minced meat
Fatteh billahm Fatteh with meat
Fatteh bissamn Fatteh made with beef or sheep tallow
Fatteh bizzayt Fatteh made with vegetable, corn, or olive oil
Fattet jaaj Fatteh with chicken
Fattoush salad made from several garden vegetables and toasted or fried pieces of pita bread
Halloumi cheese usually sliced and grilled or fried
' lentils with dough
Hummus a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic
Hummus billahm hummus with meat on top
' / jaz maz eggs in tomato stew, Syrian shakshouka
Kishik drained yogurt
Kibbeh in the Middle East, dishes made of bulghur, chopped meat, and spices
Labneh strained yogurt which tastes similar to cream or sour cream only more tart
Lahme bil'ajeen a thin piece of dough topped with minced meat and vegetables.
Makdous Stuffed and pickled eggplants
Makmoor chopped zucchini with rice
Msaqqa'a grilled eggplant mashed with olive oil, tomato, onion and garlic
Mhammarah a hot pepper dip from Aleppo, made from Aleppo pepper
Mtabbal mashed eggplant blended with tahini, olive oil, salt and garlic
Olives -
cooked yoghurt
Shish kebab skewered cubes of meat

Stuffed vine leaves

''[Kebab]''

NameDescription
Kebab Grilled meat
Kebab halabi Kebab served with a spicy tomato sauce and Aleppo pepper, with about 26 variants including
  • Kebab hindi, made from rolled lamb, with tomato paste, onion, capsicum and pomegranate molasses
  • Kebab kamayeh, made from soft meat with truffle pieces, onion and various nuts
  • Kebab karaz, made from lamb meatballs with cherries and cherry paste, pine nuts, sugar and pomegranate molasses
  • Kebab khashkhash, made from rolled lamb or beef with chili pepper paste, parsley, garlic and pine nuts
  • Siniyyet kebab, made from lean minced lamb served on a tray with chili pepper, onion and tomato

''[Kibbe]''

A variety of Syrian dishes made from a fried, baked, grilled, cooked, or raw mixture of bulghur and minced lamb are called kibbe.
NameDescription
Kibbeh bisseniyyeh A plate of baked kibbeh
Kibbeh Halabiyyeh Kibbeh with a rice crust; though named after Aleppo
Kibbeh haamdah Kibbeh with lemon juice
Kibbeh labaniyyeh Cooked kibbeh with yogurt
Kibbeh 'qras Grilled kibbeh
Kibbeh nayyeh Raw kibbeh
Kibbeh safarjaliyyeh Kibbeh with quince
Kibbeh simmaa'iyyeh Kibbeh with sumac

''Mahshi">Kousa mahshi">Mahshi'' (stuffed squash)

A famous dish served in Syria is made from vegetables which are stuffed with ground beef or lamb or mutton, nuts, and rice.

Street food

Syrian street food includes:
NameDescription
Booza Ice cream known for its elastic texture, which is caused by the presence of mastic
Falafil Fried balls or patties of spiced, mashed chickpeas, most often served in Arabic bread, with pickles, tahina, hummus, sumac, cut-vegetable salad and often, shatteh, a hot sauce, the type used depending on the falafil maker
Ka'ak Rings of bread, made from farina and other ingredients, commonly sprinkled with sesame seeds, occasionally served on the table to accompany Syrian cheese; a buttery and sweetened version, filled with crushed dates or walnuts, is eaten as a dessert, usually served to eat with string cheese shaped into a braid
Manakish Dough topped with za'atar, cheese or ground meat; it can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch
Shawarma Sliced and marinated meat shaved off a roasting skewer and stuffed into Arabic bread or sometimes baguette, alone with hummus, or with additional trimmings such as fresh onion, French fries, salads and pickles
Maarouk A sweet bread stuffed with date paste and topped with sesame seeds, and served in a wide variety of shapes, popular during Ramadan.

Sweets

NameDescription
Ba'lawah Layered pastry filled with nuts, steeped in a honey syrup called atr, and usually cut in a triangular or diamond shape
Barazek A sort of sesame seed cookie, made from white sesame seeds, butter, sugar, milk and honey
Basbousa A sweet cake made of cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup
Bashmina Syrian-style cotton candy. Made mainly from flour with a honey syrup called atr.
Bilatat jahanam Made mainly from sugar and flour with a red food coloring
Crêpe A very thin French pastry with butter and sugar
Ghazal al-banat Sugar cotton candy stuffed with pistachios or cashews
Halaweh homsiyyeh Also known as al Qurmashliya, made from flour, water and salt, fried with oil until they form little pieces, which would be colored afterwards
Halawet al-jibn Pastry rolled and stuffed with cheese or thick milk cream, served with a honey syrup called atr
Halweh A slab of sesame paste studded with fruit and candy/sweets
Haytaliya A sort of milk pudding
Kanafeh Shoelace pastry dessert stuffed with sweet white cheese, nuts and syrup
Ma'mul Biscuits filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts, and shaped in a wooden mould called tabi, a popular sweet on Christian holidays, Muslim holidays, and Jewish holidays
Mamuniyyeh Mixture of semolina and ghee simmered in water with sugar, usually served with salty cheese or milk cream called qishteh
Muhallebi A sort of milk pudding
Nabulsiyyeh A layer of semi-salty Nabulsi cheese covered with a semolina dough and drizzled with a honey syrup called atr
Naem A fried flatbread covered in syrup
Qada'ef Semolina dough stuffed with a paste made from sweet walnuts or milk cream, with a honey syrup called atr
Qamar al-din Dried apricot paste
Raha A confection based on a gel of starch and sugar
Rice pudding Made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon
Simsimiyah A confection of sesame seeds and sugar or honey, with some Saponaria
Suwar as-sitt A disc-shaped pastry steeped in a honey syrup called atr while the centre is covered with smashed pistachios
Taj al-malik Round dry pastry, the centre of which is filled with pistachios, cashews or other nuts
Zilabiyyeh Thin sheets of semolina dough, boiled, rolled and stuffed with pistachios or milk cream called qishteh
Znud as-sitt Phyllo pastries with various fillings

Cheeses

  • Halloumi—a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese
  • Jibne baida—a white hard cheese with a pronounced salty taste
  • Jibne khadra—a form of string cheese, originated in Syria, also known as jibneh mshallaleh
  • Shanklish—a type of blue cheese made from cow's or sheep's milk and often served topped with dried thyme and olive oil