Typical Arabic Food: Inspiring Dishes and Interesting Facts

Various spices are typical of Arabic food. It can be worth trying an Arabic dish for yourself.

Worth knowing: Typical Arabic food

Spices play an important role in Arabic food. There are many typical dishes that we already know in Germany and that can enrich your menu.

• One of the most popular dips in Arabia is hummus. It is a dip made from chickpeas, sesame paste, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.
• A yogurt called Laban is also part of typical Arabic cuisine. This is enriched, for example, with a spice called zataar or with olive oil.
• Manakish is a type of flatbread. This is traditionally topped with ground beef or lamb and cheese and garnished with the spices zaatar, thyme, oregano, and sumac.
• Tabbouleh is a type of vegetable salad made with bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, onions, and fresh mint. In Arabia, this is often served as a kind of starter.
• Falafel should not be missing from the Arabic specialties. These are chickpea balls seasoned with spices such as cumin and coriander powder. As a rule, the balls are enjoyed in pita bread or simply as a snack with a sesame sauce.
• Umm Ali is a typical Arabic dessert. The consistency is reminiscent of a very creamy pudding. As a rule, Umm Ali is garnished with nuts and then enjoyed either warm or cold.
• Typical Arabic spices that you will find in almost every dish are cumin, cinnamon, sumac, barberries, zaatar, turmeric, cardamom, saffron, and chili.

Recipe for typical Arabian Manakish

For the Manakish you need 500 grams of flour, a pack of dry yeast, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 250 grams of lukewarm water, 4 tablespoons of marjoram, 4 tablespoons of thyme, 2 tablespoons of sesame, 2 tablespoons of sumac, some salt and 8 tablespoons of olive oil and some vegetables or mince Prove.

• Mix the flour, the dry yeast, the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the water to form an even dough. Now let everything rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C and mix the oil and herbs. Now divide the yeast dough into about 8 equal pieces and press flat cakes out of them.
• Place the flat cakes on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and spread the herb mixture evenly on top. Now let it bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
• Garnish the finished flat cakes with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and parsley, for example. If you like, you can add some spiced and fried minced meat and enjoy the flatbread like a wrap.