Curious about the cuisines of the Middle East? Read our guides and essays to deepen your knowledge of Middle Eastern food history, cooking techniques, ingredients, and more.
Overhead view of tablescape of multiple hummus plates
A Guide to the Wide World of Hummus
Palestinian Food 101: Recipes to Get You Started
Overhead view of a plate of labneh with za'atar pita chips surrounded by a grocery store container of labneh, a bowl of zatar, and a plate of pita chips
All About Labaneh
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15 Armenian Recipes to Introduce You to the Vibrant Cuisine
Overhead view of items in an Armenian Pantry
Your Complete Guide to Stocking an Armenian Pantry
Overhead view of Carrot Halva
Celebrate Spring the Persian Way With Herb-Packed Eggs, Crispy-Bottomed Rice, and Sweets to Share
Essential ingredients of a Persian Pantry
Stocking a Persian Pantry: Explore The 2,500+ Year-Old Cuisine With These Ingredients and Recipes
Persian Cuisine Guide
Persian Food 101: Recipes to Get You Started at Home
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A Tasting Tour of Sunnyside's Top-Notch Turkish and Lebanese Food
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Destination, Jersey: The Wonderful Turkish Food of Paterson, NJ
Close crop of a sheet pan chicken
Bharat (Levantine Spice Mix)
Overhead view of Qidreh with a side plate of yogurt
13 Middle Eastern Recipes to Add to Your Cooking Rotation
Labaniyeh bil Ruz in a black bowl with toasted pine nuts
Labaniyeh bil Ruz (Garlicky Yogurt and Rice Porridge)
Overhead view of hummus b'tahini
Hummus B'Tahini (Hummus With Tahini)
Overhead view of ka'ak al quds
Ka'ak al Quds (Jerusalem Sesame Bread)
Manasf on green marbled top
Mansaf (Spiced Lamb With Rice and Yogurt Sauce)
Finished bowl of maftool
Maftool (Palestinian Wheat Pearls in a Vegetable, Chickpea, and Chicken Stew)
A plate of mujaddara a dish made of rice and lentils topped with sauted onions
Mujaddara (Rice With Lentils and Caramelized Onions)
A dessert in a glass bowl topped with nuts and shredded elements being scooped with a spoon
Karawya (Caraway-Cinnamon Rice Pudding)
Overhead view of qatayef
Qatayef (Stuffed and Fried Pancakes)
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Classic Rugelach
A smash falafel pita dressed with toppings next to more smash falafel pitas, a bowl of tahini sauce, and a bowl of zhug.
Smash Falafel Pitas
A closeup of a cooked dish with seasoned rice and chicken topped with a diced tomato mixture
Kabsa (Spiced Chicken and Rice)
Plated dish featuring layered rice chicken and nuts with garnish
Sharkaseya (Egyptian-Style Circassian Chicken)
Lebanese brown lentil soup in a bowl with a dollop of yogurt served with pieces of potato and lentils visible
Lebanese Lentil Soup
A dish with stuffed zucchini rice and yogurt sauce being poured on top garnished with pine nuts
Hashweh and Cooked Cucumbers
Sheet pan with roasted chicken and potatoes plate served with yogurt and lemon slices
Musakhan (Palestinian Chicken and Potatoes)
A wooden board with pita bread and a bowl of hummus
Air Fryer Pita
A plated serving of eggplant fatteh garnished with pomegranate seeds parsley and yogurt sauce
Eggplant Fatteh
A plate of creamy spinach dip garnished with fried onions surrounded by flatbread and sesame crackers
Spinach Borani
Galayet Bandora dish in a brown bowl on a table
Galayet Bandora (Jordanian Stir-Fried Tomatoes)
Plate of pasta with ground beef and herbs being served
Macarona Bil Laban (Pasta With Garlic Yogurt Sauce)
A bowl of muhammara garnished with walnuts, pomegranate arils, and a mint leaf, next to pita bread on a green tile surface
Muhammara (Syrian Red Bell Pepper Dip)
Baklava cake squares lined up on a white surface
Persian Baklava Cake
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Lamb Haleem
Overhead of Khoresh E Ghormeh Sabzi surrounded with rice, dips, and vegetables
Khoresh-é-Ghormeh-Sabzi (Persian Braised Meat)
Overhead view of Freekeh
Freekeh Pilaf
Platter of sliced kookoo, flatbread, and rice on a floral tablecloth
Kookoo-Sabzi (Persian Eggs With Green Herbs)
Side view of Sharma
Yalanchi Sarma (Armenian Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Overhead view of hummus fatteh
Hummus Fatteh (Hummus With Crisp Pita, Fried Meat, and Pine Nuts)
Overhead view of Qudsiyeh
Qudsiyeh (Hummus Topped With Fava Beans)
Overhead view of makhloota
Makhloota (Chickpeas and Fava Beans With Tahini)
Overhead view of baleela
Baleela (Creamy Chickpeas With Cumin and Pine Nuts)
Overhead view of Fattoush
Fattoush (Chopped Vegetable and Pita Salad)
Side view of Faloodeh
Fāloodeh (Persian Frozen Noodle and Rose Water Sorbet)
Fessenjan-NaderMehravari-hero
Fesenjān (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Meat Braise)
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Kashk-o-Bādemjān (Persian Braised Eggplant With Kashk)
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Māst-o-Khiār (Persian Yogurt with Cucumber)
Overhead view of finished eggplant stew
Khoresh-é-Bādemjan (Persian Meat and Eggplant Stew)
Overhead view of intricately decorated Sholeh Zard
Sholeh-Zard (Persian Saffron Rice Pudding)
Overhead view of kotlets with tomatoes and french fries
Kotlet (Persian Ground Meat and Potato Patties)
Overhead view of Shirazi salad with bread
Sālād-é-Shirāzi (Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad)
Overhead view of labaneh on a plate drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and served with pita bread.
Homemade Labaneh (Labneh)
Overhead view of Basbousa Bel Ashta
Basbousa Bel Ashta (Semolina Cake With Ashta Cream Filling)
Overhead view of a half of dish of Egyptian fatta
Egyptian Fatta
Egyptian Bissara
Egyptian Bissara (Split Fava Bean Dip)
Halal cart-style chicken and rice
Serious Eats' Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice With White Sauce 
A small bowl of toum, Lebanese garlic sauce, with a spoon next to it.
Traditional Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)