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ASIAN CUISINE
Middle Eastern Culture & Cuisine

The Middle East is a vast region that incorporates many diverse groups of
people who are very different, yet more similar than they are different.
Though certain groups may have different languages or religions, living in

the Middle East means having a sense of culture and a type of cuisine
that’s connected to those of others in the region.
Religious Customs
The primary religions of the region are Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Understanding how
these religions play a role in the day-to-day lives of Middle Eastern people is helpful.
Additionally, married men and women in some Middle Eastern religions cannot touch the
opposite sex, so if you offer your hand for a handshake or go in for a hug, don’t be
offended if the gesture is not returned.
Dress and Act Modestly
In some major cities, such as Beirut, Tel Aviv or Dubai, you will likely see locals and tourists
wearing shorts and a T-shirt on a warm summer’s day. But if you plan to visit any religious
sites, dress accordingly. Cover your shoulders, and don’t wear shorts. Women should wear
pants or a skirt that falls below their knees, and they often must cover their hair as well.
No Pork
In the Middle East, you probably won’t find pork on restaurant
menus, unless you’re in a touristy area.
However, Middle Eastern cuisine incorporates some of the world’s

tastiest dishes. For example, in countries along the Mediterranean,
you will find hummus, pita, eggs, cheeses, olives, fresh juices, salads,
etc. Some common street foods include falafel and shwarma, which
can be found in virtually any Middle Eastern country.
ARAB FOOD
• Arabs introduced Europeans to rice, sugar cane, cotton, eggplants,
hemp, artichokes, asparagus, mulberry, oranges, lemons, melons,
pistachios, wheat, and apricots and developed syrups, sweetmeats,
essences and perfumes.
• Arabs are credited with inventing caramel. It wasn't always a gooey

sweet. Harem women used it remove unwanted hair. According to
Islamic tradition the banana is the food of paradise.
• Bread has been the primary food staple in the Arab-Muslim world.
camel meat biryani (morr of an Indian dish, but
widely eaten in the Middle East)
Middle Eastern Food
In Muslim countries, pork is not available and sheep and other animals
are slaughtered using the halal method. Around the Mediterranean
area, Persian Gulf and the Red Sea you can get a wide variety of
seafood. River and lake fish are also widely consumed
Middle Easterners eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts, dairy

products and rice. Meat is used as a flavoring for soups, stews and rice
dishes rather than a main dish. Particularly nice is freshly baked pita
bread.
• Hummus is actually a dip made
with mashed chickpea added to
tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and
olive oil.
• It has an enticing taste that
makes it an ideal appetizer. You
can have it with pita bread or as
a sandwich spread.
INDIA
INDIA
India is a vast and ancient land, with a recorded history that dates back
over three thousand years. It is divided into many provinces that
stretch from the snowy mountains of Kashmir to the southern tip of
verdant Kerala, from the harsh arid deserts of Rajasthan in the west
across to the remote tribal region of Assam along the Burmese border.
This is also the land that gave rise to two of the world's major religions,
Buddhism and Hinduism, and produced Jainism and Sikhism. Caste, too,
plays its role in influencing the food of the people
INDIAN FOOD
Food was classified into different categories: cereals, legumes, vegetables,
fruit, spices, milk products, animal meats, and alcoholic beverages. This
was the time when ghee or clarified butter emerged as a popular cooking
medium because of its associations with purity, as it was used in religious
sacrifices and offerings.
Most traditional Indian cooking in the north still uses cholesterol-high

ghee, although modern Indians have switched to cooking oil.
Geography also plays a role in what is served. In Gujarat, nasto is made
from Bengal gram flour (besan) mixed with an assortment of spices
and fried.
Chevda or beaten rice is fried and mixed with salt, spices, almonds,
raisins, and peanuts. The Parsis brought with them a strong meat-
eating tradition and a love of egg dishes, raisins, nuts, butter and
cream
CHEVDA
Dhansak is a popular Indian dish,
originating among the Parsi
Zoroastrian community.
It combines elements of Persian

and Gujarati cuisine. Dhansak is
made by cooking mutton or goat
meat with a mixture of lentils and
vegetables.
They inevitably absorbed Gujarati influences and a hybrid

cuisine developed. One of the most famous of these dishes
is the Parsi fish steamed in banana-leaf packets. Another is
dhansak, a one-pot meal that combines several types of dal
with spices, meat, and vegetables.
MAKING THE CUISINE
Most Hindu food practices were influenced by the Aryans, beginning in the north
and the northwest of India and gradually spreading all over the country.
The Aryans did not treat food simply as a means to physical sustenance but saw it
as part of a cosmic circle, their dictum being that "food that man eats and his
universe must be in harmony."
Food, they believed, can be grouped into three types:

• those which needed expulsion,
• those which were absorbed into the flesh andand those which were
• transformed into thought or mind
The Indian Table and Kitchen
At the heart of Indian cuisine is spice—carefully overlaid, one on the
other, into dishes, with care. The use of spices in India was recorded
in Sanskrit texts three thousand years ago.
Walk into an Indian home at meal time or into a good Indian restaurant
and you will be engulfed by a wave of heavenly aromas.
So great was the importance of spices for seasoning, as preservatives
and as medicine that the search for their source pushed the
Kuropeans into the Age of Exploration in the 15th century.
The sweet. which is milk-based. completes the meal. although in the
south it is followed by rice with curds or buttermilk which are believed
to soothe the stomach after a spicy meal.
A very Indian end to a meal is the betel leaf and its seasonings or paan.
The leaf is chewed along with a slice of areca nut, a dab of slaked lime
and a smear of katha paste (another wood extract). The betel quid can
mean many things: hospitality. moral and legal commitment. a
digestive. and a fitting end to the remarkable hospitality displayed
during a meal.
THE ESSENTIAL FLAVORS OF INDIAN
COOKING
Spices are the backbone of Indian cooking, so buy the freshest you can
to roast and grind-cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, fennel seeds,
and fenugreek-as you need. Chilies, dried and fresh, are pounded and
sliced into cooking pastes with garlic, onions, and ginger.
Lentils and beans, breads and basmati rice are eaten with curries.
Saffron and turmeric are used to add flavor and color to dishes. Yogurt
is not only used in both sweet and savory dishes but is also the main
ingredient in lassi, a popular drink.
Life isn't about
waiting for the storm
to pass, its about
dancing in the rain.

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ASIAN CUISINE

Middle Eastern Culture & Cuisine

Though certain groups may have different languages or religions, living in

Dress and Act Modestly

However, Middle Eastern cuisine incorporates some of the world’s

• Arabs are credited with inventing caramel. It wasn't always a gooey

Middle Easterners eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts, dairy

Most traditional Indian cooking in the north still uses cholesterol-high

It combines elements of Persian

They inevitably absorbed Gujarati influences and a hybrid

Food, they believed, can be grouped into three types:

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