Jordanian cuisine
Maqluba: The Rice Dish That Literally Means “Upside Down”
Country of origin: Levant (particularly Palestine and Jordan) This round’s pick is maqluba — a layered dish of…
Issue 4 Aug 2026
Levantine cuisine
Rummaniyeh: Gaza’s Pomegranate and Lentil Stew, a Cuisine of Its Own
Country of origin: Palestine (Gaza specifically) This round’s pick is rummaniyeh — a thick, deep red-brown stew of eggplant and lentils, bound together with pomegranate molasses…
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Iraqi cuisine
Kleicha: The Cookie Iraq Considers Its National Sweet
Country of origin: Iraq A soft, lightly sweetened pastry filled most traditionally with a thick date paste, though…
Egyptian cuisine
Mahshi: The Stuffed Vegetable Tradition That Goes Well Beyond Grape Leaves
Country of origin: Widely shared across Egypt and the Levant This round’s pick is mahshi — the broader…
Bahrain
Karak: The Gulf’s Tea Culture, Built by Migration
Country of origin: Gulf region (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait), with roots directly tied to South Asian tea culture…
Persian/Iranian cuisine
Halva: The Sesame Confection That’s Really a Sugar Science Experiment
Country of origin: Widely shared across the Middle East, with roots likely tracing back to Persia This round’s…
Lebanese cuisine
Shish Taouk: The Chicken Skewer That Runs on Yogurt Science
Country of origin: Levant (Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding areas) This round’s pick is shish taouk — cubed chicken…
Lebanese cuisine
Msabaha: The Warm, Chunky Dish Often Mistaken for Unfinished Hummus
Country of origin: Levant (particularly Palestine and Lebanon) This round’s pick is msabaha — a warm chickpea dish…
Lebanese cuisine
Sayadieh: The Levant’s Coastal Answer to a Rice Pilaf
Country of origin: Levant (particularly coastal Lebanon and Palestine) This round’s pick is sayadieh — a fish and…
Persian/Iranian cuisine
Kabab Koobideh: The Persian Skewer That Falls Apart If You Get the Ratio Wrong
Country of origin: Iran This round’s pick is kabab koobideh — long, flattened skewers of seasoned ground meat,…