Middle Eastern cuisine has gained popularity in recent years, particularly among those who are looking for plant-based alternatives. In some parts of the world, such as the United States and Europe, there has been an increase in the number of vegan Middle Eastern restaurants.
Middle Eastern cuisine is known for its flavourful dishes that often include ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils, eggplant, and tahini. Many of these ingredients are naturally vegan, making it easier for Middle Eastern cuisine to adapt to a vegan diet. Some popular vegan Middle Eastern dishes include hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh.
It’s true that even though some traditional Middle Eastern dishes are vegan, they may contain hidden animal products, such as yogurt, milk powder or eggs.
It’s always a good idea to ask questions and clarify the ingredients with the restaurant or bakery before ordering.
Here are some items to take a closer look at:
1. Breads and pastries
Such as: manageesh, spinach pies, etc.
Milk powder and eggs are often used in breads and pastries. Think zaatar flat breads (manaqeesh) and spinach pies. Some bakeries often glaze pastries with egg wash.
2. Tahini sauce
Often used in: hummus, moutabbal and fatteh, etc.
A staple in Middle Eastern dishes is tahini sauce. It’s important to note that while it is traditionally made without dairy, some restaurants may add yogurt or other dairy products to the sauce. Tahini is used in hummus, moutabbal and fatteh. It’s always a good idea to ask if the tahini sauce is vegan.
3. Garlic Sauce
Found in several Middle Eastern dishes!
Another sauce to watch out for is garlic sauce, which is a popular condiment for Middle Eastern dishes. It is often made with egg yolks to give it a creamier texture.
4. Sweets and some savoury dishes
Such as: baklava, foul mudammas, koshari, etc.
Ghee is another ingredient that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine and can be a hidden animal product not only in sweets but also some savoury dishes. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that is widely used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. It’s important to ask if ghee or any other animal-based products are used in dishes like baklava, foul mudammas, or Koshari. Many Egyptian recipes use ghee in Koshari.
Pro tip: In a few dishes such as Koshari, onions are often fried in ghee or other animal-based fats. So, if it’s difficult to ask the staff about ingredients in a dish, consider leaving out the onions to reduce the likelihood of consuming hidden animal products.
5. Soups, stews, and rice dishes
Such as: Vine leaves, lentil (and other) soups, etc.
Animal stock or butter is often used in vegetarian soups, stews, vine leaves and rice dishes. By asking questions and being informed, vegans can easily omit or replace these ingredients.
In Egypt and Jordan, the Orthodox Christian Lenten fast is a significant period of time during which many people choose to adopt a vegan diet, with the exception of honey. The exact date of Lent can vary from year to year, as it is based on the lunar calendar. However, in general, Lent usually falls sometime between February and April. During this time, vegan friendly dishes and desserts are more common and are referred to as “Siyami”.
Overall, while Middle Eastern cuisine is becoming more popular, it’s important for vegans to be aware of the potential for hidden animal products and to ask questions about ingredients when dining out or ordering food.
Some useful words:
Ghee – Samna/Samneh
Butter – Zebda/Zebdeh
Yoghurt – Laban
Milk/milk powder – Haleeb
Animal stock – Commonly referred to as Maggi.
Eggs – Beed/Beith
Hope you found this useful!
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