ARABIC

Call me biased but I love arabic food. It is generally different from region to region. North African arabic food is very different to food from the emirati countries. In the north dishes revolve alot around tomatoes, and often the food will be ranging from macaroni to rice etc but all within a tomato sauce/soup like texture. Traditionally the food is served in a vast bowl and everyone will sit on the floor eating out of the same bowl with lots of little side dishes served amongst this, from different pickles, different breads for different, bowls of chopped up salad, hummus etc. Food is a very important part of the culture it brings together all of the families and no matter what the occassion you know with Arabs you will always be fed and always leave with a full stomach. Infamous dishes which are now available and popular around the globe include, falafel, hoummas, pitta bread, olives, babaganoush which is a dip made from roasted aubergines, taboulleh which is chopped up salad with leaves and a small amount of cous cous, shawarma, cous cous, dates, baklawa which is a pastry filled with nuts and drizzled with honey or sugar syrup, basboosa which is a cake like texture made out of semolina flour,  magroot which is thick pastry with a ball of mashed up dates inside, olive oil is very important and nuts also, date syrup - ruub and vine leaves which are stuffed with rice and mint. Arabic tea is basically tea with mint in it and  arabic coffee is very strong coffee almost like espresso. 

a form of magroot

this is aseeda which is popular in my country, Libya, it is basically like a ball of dough and served with a a butterscotch type sauce and eaten for breakfast.

traditional arabian teapots and teacups very ornately decorated

this is creme caramel which isnt a particular traditional arabic dessert however it has become more popular in arab countries because of westernization in many of the countries.

this is dates with rub, it is generally eaten for breakfast or also in ramadan when breaking the fast, it is dates ground up into a paste with oil and honey

this is rushta kiskas which is basically like a flat spagetti type pasta and cooked in a rich tomato sauce and usually the meat to go with this is gargoush which is salted and dried lamb as you can see the main dish is in the middle with smaller dishes on the outside which are salads and dips along with vine leaves

this is basboosa, a cake made out of semolina flour with a sugar syrup drizzled on top to keep it moist

this is bazeen which is the most popular and most traditional dish in libya. it is basically the savoury version of aseeda. it is a dough like ball in the centre with a tomato sauce surrounding it and then there are typically potato carrots eggs and meat surrounding it and you eat it with your hands

this is labaan which is usually drank in the morning or in ramadan for iftaar ( the breaking of the fast) it is basically milk that is very sour and very thick, dates are usually eaten alongside it to counter act for the sour taste.

this is a libyan version of kabsa which is rice with nuts and meat and raisins its a sweet dish and very different to the typical tomatoey dishes, it is light yet mourish and filling

this is a painting of a traditional old libyan man wearing his ridayah and sitting on a footah and smoking a shisha pipe. I love this image as alot of arabs can relate to it.

this is honey from my dads farm, honeys and date syrups are very important for sweetening dishes and desserts in the middle east. not only is honey mentioned in the Holy Quran so it is of great importance but also before imports and exports of man made and manufactured substances it was a predominant sweetener.

iranian feast - family cooked meal at a friends

arabian nights
pasha shisha - preston 

lahma w gargoosh - arabic salted meat