Top 10 Arab Dishes: Which Have You Tried?

Next, we present the ten most popular sweet and savory dishes from this country.

1. Hummus If you're vegetarian or know someone who is, you've probably tried this delicious spread made with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon, and sesame seeds.
    
2. Falafel Also made from chickpeas, these rounded or flattened croquettes are usually served with a yogurt sauce. In the West, they are commonly eaten in sandwiches filled with raw vegetables.
    
3. Baklava One of the most well-known Middle Eastern desserts. It is made with crushed walnuts, puff pastry, and honey syrup.
    
4. Baba Ganoush Like hummus, baba ganoush is a spread, but it is more seasoned and prepared with smoked eggplants, pepper, cumin, garlic, lemon, tahini, and salt.
    
5. Kibbeh These are meat and wheat croquettes that are more or less oval-shaped. In traditional dishes, they are fried and seasoned with pine nuts, onion, and many spices.
    
6. Maqluba For Spaniards, this dish is very similar to paella; actually, it is made with rice and vegetables but includes lamb and, depending on the diner's preference, yogurt sauce.
    
7. Tabbouleh This salad is very popular in Arab restaurants. It is fresh and pairs with almost any dish. Its ingredients are tomato, onion, garlic, wheat, salt, cumin, pepper, and lemon juice.
    
8. Kebab or Shawarma Shawarma is served in two ways: as a round bread filled with ingredients or as a thin wrap rolled around itself. In both cases, it is filled with raw vegetables and roasted lamb.
    
9. Stuffed Grape Leaves At first glance, it may not seem like a very attractive dish, but grape leaves are filled with ground meat, rice, and lots of oriental flavor.
    
10. Couscous Similar to a rice dish with vegetables, this dish is made with wheat semolina, steamed vegetables, and stewed meat.
     

Which of these dishes have you tried? Surely you have a favorite among Arab foods—it's hard to resist.