The main difference between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine is the geographical difference. Mediterranean cuisine usually includes Italian Greek, Provençal, Ottoman (Turkish), Maghrebi, Egyptian, and Levantine cuisines, whereas Middle Eastern cuisine includes Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Georgian, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, and Kurdish cuisines.
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern are two popular cuisines enjoyed by food lovers all over the world. Since both these types of cuisines involve similar elements, there is some overlap between them.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Mediterranean Cuisine
– Definition, Features
2. What is Middle Eastern Cuisine
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Cuisine, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
What is Mediterranean Cuisine
Mediterranean cuisine refers to the food and methods of cooking used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. Mediterranean cuisine involves a wide variety of cultures with different cuisines. These typically include Italian Greek, Spanish, Provençal, Ottoman (Turkish), Maghrebi, Egyptian, and Levantine cuisines. Cuisines from other nearby countries also exhibit some features of Mediterranean cuisine. For example, some describe Portuguese as having Mediterranean flavour profiles.
Mediterranean cuisine is famous all over the world. Moreover, some food experts claim that Mediterranean cuisine has three core elements: olive, wheat, and grape. These also give a multitude of tasty foods like bread, pasta, olive oil, and wine. In addition, some of the most popular Mediterranean food includes pizza, paella, pasta, gyros, kebab, falafel, tapas, and feta. These food items are typically made of the light and flavorful ingredients of the Mediterranean region and include fruits, vegetables, grains, white meat, fish, as well as dairy. They also use a variety of spice blends like bouquet garni, fines herbs, garlic pepper, Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, herbes de provence, onion salt, garlic pepper, spaghetti seasoning, etc.
What is Middle Eastern Cuisine
Middle East is the region traversing the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. Therefore, Middle Eastern cuisine includes Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Georgian, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, and Kurdish cuisines. Therefore, Middle Eastern cuisine includes both Arab cuisine and non-Arabian cuisine.
Moreover, the cuisines of these regions share similar ingredients like olive, parsley, honey, sesame seeds, sumac, chickpeas, dates, rice, and mint. Popular Middle Eastern dishes include kebabs, falafel, baklava, dolmas, yoghurt, shawarma and mulukhiyah. Furthermore, Turkish coffee is a popular Middle Eastern beverage loved by many. In addition, the cuisine of the Middle East is considerably influenced by the Mediterranean climate, Africa, Europe, Asia due to the trade routes that have been used for centuries.
Difference Between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
Definition
Mediterranean cuisine refers to the food and methods of cooking used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin, while Middle Eastern refers to the food and methods of cooking used by the people of the Middle East region, which spans Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
Types
Mediterranean cuisine includes Italian Greek, Spanish, Provençal, Ottoman (Turkish), Maghrebi, Egyptian, and Levantine cuisines, whereas Middle Eastern cuisine includes Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Georgian, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, and Kurdish cuisines.
Popular Dishes
Popular Mediterranean food includes pizza, paella, pasta, gyros, kebab, falafel, tapas, and feta, while popular Middle Eastern dishes include kebabs, falafel, baklava, dolmas, yoghurt, shawarma and mulukhiyah.
Conclusion
In brief, the main difference between Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine is the geographical difference. Mediterranean cuisine usually includes Italian Greek, Provençal, Ottoman (Turkish), Maghrebi, Egyptian, and Levantine cuisines, whereas Middle Eastern cuisine includes Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Georgian, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, and Kurdish cuisines.
Reference:
1. “The Middle Eastern Cuisine – a Culinary Journey You Would Never Forget.” Gourmandelle, 17 Jan. 2020.
2. “What Is Mediterranean Cuisine? Explore The Famous Delicacies Of Mediterranean Cuisine.” The Times of India, The Times of India, 2 Aug. 2021.
3. “Mediterranean Cuisine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Oct. 2021.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Mediterranean Cuisines” By Chiswick Chap – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Middle-eastern-food-kebab” (CC0) via Pixabay
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