Syrian cuisine facts for kids
Syrian cuisine is a Middle Eastern cuisine that includes the cooking traditions and practices of modern Syria (as opposed to Greater Syria), merging the habits of people who settled in Syria throughout its history.
Syrian cuisine mainly uses eggplant, zucchini, garlic, meat (mostly from lamb and sheep), sesame seeds, rice, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils, cabbage, cauliflower, vine leaves, pickled turnips, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, pistachios, honey and fruits.
At the beginning of the 21st century, selections of appetizers known as mezze are customarily served along with Arabic bread before the Syrian meal's main course, which is followed by coffee, with sweet confections or fruits at will. Many recipes date from at least the 13th century.
Contents
Foods
Meze
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Baba ghanoush (بابا غنوج) | eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with seasonings |
| Baterish (باطرش) | mashed roasted eggplant |
| Falafel (فلافل) | a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both |
| Fasolia bi zeit (فاصوليا بزيت) | green beans with olive oil, lemon and garlic |
| Fatteh (فتّة) | pieces of Arabic bread covered with other ingredients |
| Fatteh al-makdus (فتّة المكدوس) | Fatteh with makdus and minced meat |
| Fatteh bi-l-lahm (فتّة باللحم) | Fatteh with meat |
| Fatteh bi-s-samn (فتّة بالسمن) | Fatteh made with beef or sheep tallow |
| Fatteh bi-z-zayt (فتّة بالزيت) | Fatteh made with vegetable, corn, or olive oil |
| Fatteh dajaj (فتّة دجاج) | Fatteh with chicken |
| Fattoush (فتوش) | salad made from several garden vegetables and toasted or fried pieces of pita bread |
| Halloumi cheese (جبنة حلومي) | usually sliced and grilled or fried |
| Harra' esbao'o (حراق اصبعو) | lentils with dough |
| Hummus (حمص) | a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic |
| Hummus bil-lahm (حمص باللحم) | hummus with meat on top |
| Jez mez (جظ مظ) | a sort of shakshouka |
| Kashk (كشك) | drained yogurt |
| Kibbeh (كبة) | in the Middle East, dishes made of bulghur, chopped meat, and spices |
| Labneh (لبنة) | strained yogurt which tastes similar to cream or sour cream only more tart |
| Lahmacun (لحم بعجين) | a thin piece of dough topped with minced meat and vegetables. |
| Makdus (مكدوس) | Stuffed and pickled eggplants |
| Makmur (مكمور) | chopped zucchini with rice |
| Moussaka (مسقعة) | grilled eggplant (aubergine) mashed with olive oil, tomato, onion and garlic |
| Muhammarah (محمرة) | a hot pepper dip from Aleppo, made from Aleppo pepper |
| Mutabbal (متبل) | mashed eggplant (aubergine) blended with tahini, olive oil, salt and garlic |
| Olives (زيتون) | |
| Shakeria (شاكرية) | cooked yoghurt |
| Shish kebab (شيش كباب) | skewered cubes of meat |
| Tabbouleh (تبولة) | bulgur, finely chopped parsley, mint, tomato, spring onion, with lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings |
Stuffed vine leaves
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Yabrak (يبرق) | Grape leaves stuffed with rice and minced meat cooked and served hot |
| Yalanji (يالانجي) | Grape leaves stuffed with rice and a variety of vegetables and served hot or cold |
Kebab
Kebab khashkhash from Aleppo
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Kebab (كباب) | Grilled meat |
| Kebab halabi (كباب حلبي meaning "Aleppine kebab") | Kebab served with a spicy tomato sauce and Aleppo pepper, with about 26 variants including
|
Kubbeh
A variety of Syrian dishes made from a fried, baked, grilled, cooked, or raw mixture of bulghur and minced lamb are called kubbeh (كبّة).
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Kubbeh bi-s-siniyyeh (كبّة بالصينيّة meaning "plate kubbeh") | A plate of baked kubbeh |
| Kubbeh Halab (كبّة حلب) | Kubbeh with a rice crust; though named after Aleppo, this recipe seems to be of Iraqi origin |
| Kubbeh hamid (كبّة حامض) | Kubbeh with lemon juice |
| Kubbeh labaniyyeh (كبّة لبنيّة) | Cooked kubbeh with yogurt |
| Kubbeh 'qras Grilled ((كبّة أقراص (مشوية) | Grilled kubbeh |
| Kubbeh nayyeh (كبّة نيّة) | Raw kubbeh |
| Kubbeh safarjaliyyeh (كبّة سفرجليّة) | Kubbeh with quince |
| Kubbeh summa'iyyeh (كبّة سمّاقيّة) | Kubbeh with sumac |
Mahshi (Stuffed squash)
A famous dish served in Syria is made from vegetables (usually zucchini—كوسا / kūsā, or eggplant—باذنجان / bādhinjān) which are stuffed (محشي / maḥshī) with ground beef or lamb or mutton, nuts, and rice.
Street food
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Syrian street food includes:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Booza (بوظة) | Ice cream known for its elastic texture, which is caused by the presence of mastic |
| Falafil (فلافل) | Fried balls or patties of spiced, mashed chickpeas, most often served in Arabic bread, with pickles, tahina, hummus, sumac, cut-vegetable salad and often, shatteh, a hot sauce, the type used depending on the falafil maker |
| Ka'ak (كعك) | Rings of bread, made from farina and other ingredients, commonly sprinkled with sesame seeds, occasionally served on the table to accompany Syrian cheese; a buttery and sweetened version, filled with crushed dates or walnuts, is eaten as a dessert, usually served to eat with string cheese shaped into a braid (jibneh mashallaleh) |
| Manakish (مناقيش) | Dough topped with za'atar, cheese or ground meat; it can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch |
| Shawarma (شاورما) | Sliced and marinated meat shaved off a roasting skewer and stuffed into Arabic bread or sometimes baguette, alone with hummus, or with additional trimmings such as fresh onion, French fries, salads and pickles |
Sweets
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Ba'lawah (بقلاوة) | Layered pastry filled with nuts, steeped in a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر), and usually cut in a triangular or diamond shape |
| Barazek (برازق) | A sort of sesame seed cookies, made from white sesame seeds, butter, sugar, milk and honey |
| Basbousa (بسبوسة) | A sweet cake made of cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup |
| Bashmina (البشمينا) | Syrian-style cotton candy. Made mainly from flour with a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر). |
| Bilatat jahanam (بلاطة جهنم meaning "Hell's tile") | Made mainly from sugar and flour with a red food coloring |
| Crêpe (كريب) | A very thin French pastry with butter and sugar |
| Ghazal al-banat (غزل البنات) | Sugar cotton candy stuffed with pistachios or cashews |
| Halaweh homsiyyeh (حلاوة حمصيّة) | Also known as al Qurmashliya, made from flour, water and salt, fried with oil until they form little pieces, which would be colored afterwards |
| Halawet al-jibn (حلاوة الجبن) | Pastry rolled and stuffed with cheese or thick milk cream, served with a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر) |
| Halweh (حلوة) | A slab of sesame paste studded with fruit and candy/sweets |
| Haytaliya (هيطلية) | A sort of milk pudding |
| Kanafeh (كنافة) | Shoelace pastry dessert stuffed with sweet white cheese, nuts and syrup |
| Ma'mul (معمول) | Biscuits filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts, and shaped in a wooden mould called tabi' (طابع), a popular sweet on Christian holidays (Easter), Muslim holidays ('Id al-Fitr), and Jewish holidays (Purim) |
| Mamuniyyeh (مامونيّة) | Mixture of semolina and ghee simmered in water with sugar, usually served with salty cheese or milk cream called qishteh (قشطة) |
| Muhallebi (مهلبية) | A sort of milk pudding |
| Nabulsiyyeh (نابلسيّة) | A layer of semi-salty Nabulsi cheese covered with a semolina dough and drizzled with a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر) |
| Qada'ef (قطايف) | Semolina dough stuffed with a paste made from sweet walnuts or milk cream, with a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر) |
| Qamar al-din (قمر الدين) | Dried apricot paste |
| Raha (راحة) | A confection based on a gel of starch and sugar |
| Rice pudding (رز بحليب) | Made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon |
| Simsimiyah (السمسمية) | A confection of sesame seeds and sugar or honey, with some Saponaria |
| Suwar as-sitt (سوار الست meaning "lady's wristlet") | A disc-shaped pastry steeped in a honey syrup called 'atr (قطر) while the centre is covered with smashed pistachios |
| Taj al-malik (تاج الملك meaning "king's crown") | Round dry pastry, the centre of which is filled with pistachios, cashews or other nuts |
| Zilabiyyeh (زلابيّة) | Thin sheets of semolina dough, boiled, rolled and stuffed with pistachios or milk cream called qishteh (قشطة) |
| Znud as-sitt (زنود الست meaning "lady's arms") | Phyllo pastries with various fillings |
Cakes
- Nygella cake
Cheeses
- Halloumi—a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese
- Jibne baida—a white hard cheese with a pronounced salty taste
- Jibne khadra—a form of string cheese, originated in Syria, also known as Jibneh mshallaleh
- Shanklish—a type of blue cheese made from cow's or sheep's milk and often served topped with dried thyme and olive oil
Beverages
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Al-mateh (المته) | A caffeine-infused drink produced from ground yerba mate leaves and served hot |
| 'Ara' (عرق) | A distilled alcoholic spirit, transparent in color, made from grapes and spiced with anise seeds |
| 'Ayran (عيران) | A yogurt-based beverage mixed with salt and water |
| Jallab (جلاب) | A fruit syrup which can be combined with liquid to form a hot or warm beverage |
| Polo (بولو) | Mint lemonade |
| Qahweh bayda' (قهوة بيضاء meaning "white coffee") | A caffeine-free drink made from water and orange blossom water, sweetened with sugar at will, usually served in lieu of coffee |
| Qamar al-din (قمر الدين) | A thick apricot juice, typically served for Iftar during Ramadan |
| Salep (سحلب) | A traditional winter beverage, made with a flour from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis; salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts |
| Syrian beer (البيرة السوريّة) | A beverage prepared from yeast-fermented malt, flavored with hops |
| Syrian coffee (قهوة) | A beverage made from lightly roasted coffee beans along with cardamom, and served in small cups (as with Turkish coffee) |
| Wine (نبيذ) | An alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes |
See also
In Spanish: Gastronomía de Siria para niños
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Syrian cuisine Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.