Middle East and Africa

1. Middle East and Africa

2. Middle East

4. Middle East Cuisine • Basic to all Middle East cuisine are five ingredients: Lemon, garlic, green pepper, eggplant and tomato

5. Middle East Cuisine • Like Mediterranean Cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine uses many kinds of olives and olive oil.

6. Middle East Cuisine • Spice caravans were once a common sight in the middle east, and spices are still used liberally in middle eastern cuisine. • Middle Eastern food is not spicy hot, but spices do add a delicate flavor to foods.

7. Middle Eastern Cuisine • In the Middle East, lamb is the staple meat and is often roasted whole. • Middle Eastern yogurt is curdled milk with a tangy flavor, and is not at all like yogurt found in the United States

8. Middle Eastern Cuisine • Wheat, beans, rice, lentils, and chickpeas are the staple grains in the Middle East • Bulgur is a grain product made from whole wheat that has been cooked, dried, and cracked. Middle Easterners add this wheat to many dishes including soups and stews

9. Middle Eastern Cuisine • Middle Easterners, as a general rule, enjoy rich desserts and coffee. • Middle Eastern coffee is strong, and mostly served black (without cream or sugar)

10. Africa

12. African Cuisine • Each country in Africa has its own unique cuisine. • Most African countries don’t have refrigeration, so cooks who live in cities are likely to make daily trips to the market to buy fresh food.

13. African Cuisine • A wide variety of fruits and vegetables grow in Africa. • Papaya, plantains, cassava, okra and mango are common in African cuisine

14. African Cuisine • In urban areas of Africa, some people follow a daily meal pattern, but in the more poverty-stricken areas of the continent people eat what they can when they can.

15. African Cuisine • The traditional African dinner table is low, and people sit on pillows—not chairs. • Diners do not use knives or forks. Most eating is done with the fingers, though spoons may be used