Curious about the cuisines of the Middle East? Read our guides and essays to deepen your knowledge of Middle Eastern food history, cooking techniques, ingredients, and more.
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Ka’ak, and the Case for the Ancient Arabic Origins of the Bagel
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A Visit to Dubai's Fish Souk
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Serious Entertaining: A Middle Eastern-Inspired Feast
Overhead view of tablescape of multiple hummus plates
A Guide to the Wide World of Hummus
Palestinian Food 101: Recipes to Get You Started
Overhead view of a plate of labneh with za'atar pita chips surrounded by a grocery store container of labneh, a bowl of zatar, and a plate of pita chips
All About Labaneh
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15 Armenian Recipes to Introduce You to the Vibrant Cuisine
Overhead view of items in an Armenian Pantry
Your Complete Guide to Stocking an Armenian Pantry
Essential ingredients of a Persian Pantry
Stocking a Persian Pantry: Explore The 2,500+ Year-Old Cuisine With These Ingredients and Recipes
Persian Cuisine Guide
Persian Food 101: Recipes to Get You Started at Home
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How to Stock a Turkish Pantry: Flavorful Ingredients Worth Seeking Out
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A Tasting Tour of Sunnyside's Top-Notch Turkish and Lebanese Food
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Destination, Jersey: The Wonderful Turkish Food of Paterson, NJ
Overhead view of Qidreh with a side plate of yogurt
13 Middle Eastern Recipes to Add to Your Cooking Rotation
Labaniyeh bil Ruz in a black bowl with toasted pine nuts
Labaniyeh bil Ruz (Garlicky Yogurt and Rice Porridge)
Overhead view of hummus b'tahini
Hummus B'Tahini (Hummus With Tahini)
Overhead view of ka'ak al quds
Ka'ak al Quds (Jerusalem Sesame Bread)
Manasf on green marbled top
Mansaf (Palestinian Spiced Lamb With Rice and Yogurt Sauce)
Finished bowl of maftool
Maftool (Palestinian Wheat Pearls in a Vegetable, Chickpea, and Chicken Stew)
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This Creamy Persian Porridge With a 1,000-Year History Is Delicious for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Overhead of Khoresh E Ghormeh Sabzi surrounded with rice, dips, and vegetables
This Comforting Persian Stew Is the Cure-All for Your Winter Blues
Overhead view of Freekeh
Freekeh Pilaf
Platter of sliced kookoo, flatbread, and rice on a floral tablecloth
Kookoo-Sabzi (Persian Eggs With Green Herbs)
A smash falafel pita dressed with toppings next to more smash falafel pitas, a bowl of tahini sauce, and a bowl of zhug.
Smash Falafel Pitas Recipe
Side view of Sharma
Yalanchi Sarma (Armenian Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Overhead view of hummus fatteh
Hummus Fatteh (Hummus With Crisp Pita, Fried Meat, and Pine Nuts)
Overhead view of Qudsiyeh
Qudsiyeh (Hummus Topped With Fava Beans)
Overhead view of makhloota
Makhloota (Chickpeas and Fava Beans With Tahini)
Overhead view of baleela
Baleela (Creamy Chickpeas With Cumin and Pine Nuts)
Overhead view of Fattoush
Fattoush (Chopped Vegetable and Pita Salad)
Side view of Faloodeh
Fāloodeh (Persian Frozen Noodle and Rose Water Sorbet)
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Fesenjān (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Meat Braise)
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Kashk-o-Bādemjān (Persian Braised Eggplant With Kashk)
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Māst-o-Khiār (Persian Yogurt with Cucumber)
Overhead view of finished eggplant stew
Khoresh-é-Bādemjan (Persian Meat and Eggplant Stew)
Overhead view of intricately decorated Sholeh Zard
Sholeh-Zard (Persian Saffron Rice Pudding)
Overhead view of kotlets with tomatoes and french fries
Kotlet (Persian Ground Meat and Potato Patties)
Overhead view of Shirazi salad with bread
Sālād-é-Shirāzi (Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad)
Overhead view of labaneh on a plate drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and served with pita bread.
Homemade Labaneh (Labneh)
Overhead view of Basbousa Bel Ashta
Basbousa Bel Ashta (Semolina Cake With Ashta Cream Filling)
Overhead view of a half of dish of Egyptian fatta
Egyptian Fatta
Egyptian Bissara
Egyptian Bissara (Split Fava Bean Dip)
Halal cart-style chicken and rice
Serious Eats' Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice With White Sauce 
A small bowl of toum, Lebanese garlic sauce, with a spoon next to it.
Traditional Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
Dipping pita bread into baba ganoush in a small bowl, drizzled with olive oil.
The Best Baba Ganoush
A stack of pitas on a wooden surface
Homemade Pita Bread
Overhead shot of a bowl of chicken and lentil stew topped with fried onions and tomatoes
Chicken and Lentil Stew With Tomatoes and Onions Recipe
Maqlubeh plated on a white dish with a bowl of sauce and a small salad next to it
Maqlubeh (Palestinian "Upside Down" Meat, Vegetables, and Rice)
Plated msakhan.
Msakhan (Palestinian Flatbreads With Onion, Sumac, and Spiced Roast Chicken)
Taboon breads in a cast-iron skillet on river pebbles and spread out across a white linen.
Taboon (Palestinian Flatbread)
Shurabet el eid in a white bowl
Shurabet el Eid (Holiday Soup) Recipe
North African Tuna Rice Salad
North African Tuna and Rice Salad
Overhead view of Qidreh with a side plate of yogurt
Qidreh (Palestinian Bone-In Lamb With Spiced Rice)
Overhead view of kafta in baking dish next to a bowl of rice.
Kafta bi Bandora (Palestinian Ground Meat Patties in Tomato Sauce)
Overhead view of finished dawali
Dawali (Palestinian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Hashweh with chicken served with a bowl of yogurt and farmers salad.
Hashweh (Palestinian Spiced Rice and Meat)
Overhead shot of Salata falahiyeh in a patterned blue bowl with crisp pita
Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian or Farmers Salad)
Plated pita bread stuffed with falafels, tahini, tomatoes, cucumber, pickles, and shredded cabbage
Homemade Falafel