Persian/Iranian cuisine
Tahdig: The Crispy Rice That Persians Fight Over
Today’s random pick lands on tahdig — not really a standalone dish so much as the single most…
Levantine cuisine
Muhammara: Aleppo’s Fiery Red Pepper and Walnut Dip
Today’s random pick lands on muhammara — a thick, deep red dip made from roasted red peppers, ground…
Egyptian cuisine
Mulukhiyah: The “Royal” Stew With Roots in Ancient Egypt
Today’s random pick lands back on Egyptian cuisine with mulukhiyah (also spelled molokhia or mloukhiya) — a deep…
Lebanese cuisine
Kibbeh: The Levant’s Most Technically Demanding Dish
Kibbeh, also spelled kibbe or kubbeh, is a dish built from a fine paste of bulgur wheat and…
Persian/Iranian cuisine
Ghormeh Sabzi: Iran’s Herb Stew and Unofficial National Dish
A deep green, tangy stew built almost entirely around a mountain of fresh herbs, slow-cooked with kidney beans,…
Gulf & Arabian cuisine
Harees: The Ancient Porridge Behind the Gulf’s Ramadan Table
This round returns to Gulf and Arabian cuisine with harees (also spelled hareesa or, in some North African…
Israel
Jachnun: The Overnight Bread That Yemenite Jews Brought to Israel
This round returns to Israeli cuisine with jachnun (also spelled jahnun) — a dense, rolled pastry baked low…
Israel
Sabich: The Iraqi-Jewish Sandwich That Became an Israeli Icon
This round covers Israeli cuisine with sabich — a pita sandwich piled with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus,…
Algerian cuisine
Chakhchoukha: Algeria’s Torn Bread and Slow-Cooked Stew
This round covers Algerian cuisine with chakhchoukha (also spelled chakchouka in some regions, though distinct from the Tunisian/Egyptian…
North African cuisine
Brik: Tunisia’s Crispy Pastry Built Around a Single Egg
This round covers Tunisian cuisine with brik (also spelled brick) — a thin, crackling pastry parcel fried until…