Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Food: English Vocabulary List

a dish of ground lamb with eggplants, onions, and tomatoes topped with cheese, originated in Greece

"Moussaka has eggplant lamb bechamel."

"Moussaka is a Greek baked dish of layered eggplant spiced meat and creamy bechamel sauce."

a Middle Eastern dish consisting of vegetables, such as grape leaves or bell peppers, stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat, and/or spices

"Dolma are stuffed grape leaves."

"Dolma are stuffed grape leaves filled with rice herbs and sometimes meat."

a savory pastry made with thin layers of phyllo dough, typically filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables, and often eaten as a snack or appetizer in various Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines

"Borek is filled pastry."

"Borek is a savory filled pastry popular in Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisines."

a dish of mashed chickpeas made into balls and deep fried, originated in the Middle East

"Falafel is fried chickpea ball."

"We stopped at a small Middle Eastern restaurant and ordered falafel wrapped in warm pita bread with fresh salad."

a dish of small steamed balls of crushed wheat, originated in North Africa

"Couscous is steamed semolina."

"She prepared a delicious North African couscous with roasted vegetables and tender lamb for our family dinner last Sunday."

a North African dish typically made with slow-cooked meat, vegetables, and spices

"Tajine is slow-cooked stew."

"We enjoyed a delicious tajine made with lamb, dried apricots, and warm spices for dinner."

a North African and Middle Eastern dish made with poached eggs cooked in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce

"Shakshouka has poached eggs tomato."

"For breakfast, she prepared shakshouka with fresh eggs poached in a rich tomato and pepper sauce."

a dish that is a paste made with mashed sesame seeds and chickpeas with lemon juice, garlic, and oil, originated in the Middle East

"Hummus is chickpea tahini dip."

"Hummus is a creamy Middle Eastern dip made from blended chickpeas tahini and lemon."

an Egyptian and Sudanese dish made from cooked fava beans typically seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil

"Ful medames is fava bean dish."

"He ordered ful medames seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil at the Egyptian restaurant."

food made with pieces of meat and vegetables roasted or grilled on fire, typically on a skewer

"The kebab was spicy."

"We ate kebab with rice and salad."

(in some Arabic-speaking countries) cooked meat served in thin slices, usually with pitta bread

"Shawarma is sliced spit meat."

"We stopped at a street vendor to eat shawarma wrapped in warm pitta bread with fresh vegetables."

a traditional Catalan dish made from roasted vegetables, typically eggplant, bell peppers, and onions

"Escalivada is grilled vegetables."

"Escalivada is a Spanish dish of grilled vegetables including eggplant peppers and onions."

small cubes of marinated meat and vegetables cooked on a skewer

"Shish kebab is skewered meat."

"At the barbecue, we grilled shish kebab with marinated lamb, bell peppers, and onions on skewers."

a Middle Eastern dish made from roasted or grilled eggplant, mashed and mixed with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and other seasonings

"Baba ghanoush is eggplant dip."

"Baba ghanoush is a smoky Middle Eastern dip made from mashed eggplant and tahini."

an Egyptian dish made of lentils, rice, macaroni, and chickpeas, typically topped with tomato sauce

"Koshary has rice lentils pasta."

"Koshary is an Egyptian street food made with rice lentils pasta and tomato sauce topped with fried onions."

a Middle Eastern dish made of layers of rice, meat, such as chicken, lamb, or beef, and vegetables

"Maqluba is upside-down rice dish."

"Maqluba is a Palestinian rice dish layered with meat and fried vegetables then flipped upside down."

a popular Israeli street food dish made with pita bread stuffed with fried eggplant, boiled eggs, and various accompaniments

"Sabich has eggplant egg pita."

"Sabich is an Israeli sandwich of fried eggplant hard boiled egg and tahini in a pita."

a traditional Jordanian dish made with lamb cooked in fermented yogurt, usually served over rice

"Mansaf is lamb yogurt rice."

"During our trip to Jordan, we tasted mansaf, a traditional dish of lamb cooked in yogurt served over rice."

a Middle Eastern cheese made from cow's or sheep's milk that is typically aged and seasoned with spices

"Shanklish is aged cheese."

"She served shanklish, a spicy aged cheese, alongside olives and fresh bread for the appetizer."

a popular Middle Eastern flatbread that is typically topped with a variety of ingredients such as za'atar, cheese, minced meat, or vegetables

"Manakish is zaatar flatbread."

"Manakish is a Lebanese flatbread topped with za'atar or cheese and baked."

a Middle Eastern dish made of ground meat, typically lamb or beef, mixed with spices and bulgur wheat, and often shaped into balls

"Kibbeh has bulgur meat."

"My grandmother taught me how to make kibbeh using ground lamb, bulgur wheat, and aromatic spices."

a selection of small, flavorful dishes that are typically served as appetizers or side dishes in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines

"Meze are small appetizers."

"We shared a colorful meze including hummus, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves at dinner."

a traditional Moroccan soup made with lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices

"Harira is tomato lentil soup."

"Harira is a Moroccan tomato and lentil soup traditionally eaten to break the fast during Ramadan."

a Moroccan dish made with layers of thin pastry filled with shredded meat, often chicken or pigeon, almonds, and spices

"Pastilla is sweet savory pie."

"The restaurant served pastilla, a flaky Moroccan pastry filled with chicken, almonds, and warm spices."

a Middle Eastern dessert commonly consumed during the month of Ramadan

"Qatayef are stuffed pancakes."

"During Ramadan, my family always prepares qatayef stuffed with sweet cheese and drizzled with fragrant sugar syrup."

a popular North African and Middle Eastern dish made from roasted bell peppers and tomatoes, cooked with spices and herbs

"Matbucha is cooked tomato dip."

"We served warm matbucha with fresh bread, and everyone at the table loved its rich, smoky flavor."