If you want eating that is fun, delicious and exotic, there is no better choice than Middle Eastern food. Nothing is better than eating this food fresh in a good restaurant. If you are interested in Eastern culture, learn more about Middle Eastern foods and restaurants.

The Basics of Middle Eastern Food

There are numerous Middle Eastern dishes that may sound familiar. These foods are popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa and the rest of the world.
Hummus is a mashed dip made of beans or chickpeas and blended with seasonings. Falafels are balls made of beans or chickpeas that are deep fried and topped with sauce or vegetables.

Middle Eastern foods are found in street markets and grocery stores. However, no replacement is found for the fresh food being served in authentic Middle Eastern restaurants.

Healthy Eating

Middle Easterners enjoy many of the same ingredients that everyone else does. Common ingredients include olive oil, sauces, pita breads, chickpeas and vegetables. Since many ingredients are natural, it is easy to benefit from a healthy lunch. Vegetarian food is not always easy to find in any kind of restaurant. Chefs find it easy to create vegan food based solely on Middle Eastern ingredients.

When people go to restaurants, they assume that the foods are overindulgent and unhealthy. That is not true if you go to the right restaurants. At many places, the customers receive menus with detailed nutritional labels. Restaurant chefs know that the new trend is healthy eating, so they are using healthier ingredients and creating fuller dishes.

Reasons to Eat Out

At any restaurant, it is important to have options. Choose how much food you want and where you want to eat. Sitting in the restaurant and eating good food is only one option. Customers should be able to take these dishes home with them.

Another version of eating out is catering out. Find a good Middle Eastern place that provides catering to any event, whether it is a birthday party, office meeting or home dinner. Middle Eastern dishes are sophisticated enough to satisfy the needs of corporate catering. When you need a change from fast food, choose foods from this part of the world.

Armenia, Persia, Iran and India are countries that you know about. If you really want to know these countries, you have to know about the cuisines. From this part of the world, the dishes are healthy and filling to anyone who tries them. Find a restaurant that provides a variety of authentic dishes from the Middle East.

The shawarma evokes a visual imagery of slow-grilled meat on a warm bread, a comfort food picked up in a corner deli on a lunch break. While the shawarma has been unjustly categorized by some as a fast food item, it is more than the exotic cousin of the sandwich. It is tradition wrapped in a delicious treat.

While the true origin of the shawarma remains unclear, the tasty dish has been described as part of traditional Levantine cuisine, which is popular in a region encompassing areas in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Regional variations of the shawarma exist but the basic elements are there. In fact, culinary iterations or similar versions of the shawarma can be found not only in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, but in regions such as Northern Africa. In Greece, they have the gyro. And in Turkey, they have the doner kebab. Both dishes involve a similar spit grilling process.

The dish may have gained popularity throughout the region through the influence and spread of the Turkish-Ottoman empire. In fact, the word shawarma was said to have originated from the Turkish word “çevirme”, which describes the turning process of cooking the meat. This method of grilling, which is still used today, involves placing the cone-shaped slab of meat on a horizontal or vertical spit to be cooked for hours over hot coals or firewood. The axial rotation ensures that the meat is equally cooked on all sides.

Based from the shawarma’s popularity, it could be said that it has transcended food fad and trends, and probably entered mainstream food territory. While the modern shawarma is now grilled using commercial gas or electric-fired rotisserie, the basics are still there. One can choose over grilled lamb, goat, chicken, or beef, shaved from the grilled slab of meat, and placed with vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. Options for sauce paired with the mix also varies It could be a garlic toumaia, hummus or a sesame-based tahini sauce. Depending on the location, regional preference, and tradition, the delicious combo could be wrapped in some type of flat bread. It could be laffa or taboon bread, or lavash.

But despite being part of the mainstream culinary consciousness and taste for quite some time, the word “shawarma” was only recently recognized in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. In fact, it was only nearly 8 years ago when the word was included in the list, along with 99 other words. But of course, this omission hardly matters to those who have been appreciating the taste of shawarma for years.

If you are looking to stay fit and healthy, then you probably know the importance of having well-balanced meals at lunchtime. However, most of us lack the option of healthy food, with many of us resorting to highly processed or unhealthy fast food. Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant in San Diego, California is one of the few restaurants in the area that understands the importance of having healthy dietary options when it comes to a healthy diet.

Meals at lunchtime are significantly important because the type of food you eat during this time will have a direct impact on your overall health. Eating unhealthy food such as processed and greasy food predisposes you to lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Studies have found that skipping meals during lunch time to lose weight will ultimately have the opposite effect for a majority of people. Having healthy, balanced meals during the day is more effective for weight loss and improving overall health. The meals at Aladdin are prepared with this in mind and the chefs are always looking to add healthy options to the menu.

Aladdin’s main offering is Middle Eastern food, which is one of the main dishes that make up the famous Mediterranean Diet. These types of food normally consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other foods rich in calories and healthy fats. The food at Aladdin is also specially prepared with healthy herbs and spices instead of salt, which helps manage blood pressure.

Many nutritionists emphasize the importance of having a healthy lunch that offers a balance between the five major food groups: lean proteins, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. At Aladdin Cafe, the menu is designed to accommodate these food groups to ensure you eat healthily. One of the menu items at Aladdin, the famous hummus topped with either lamb or chicken shawerma, offers the largest proportion of healthy food groups in the restaurant. The meal incorporates beans tahini, fresh lemon and garlic, olive oil, and chicken or lamb. When served with one of Aladdin’s freshly made in-house salads or desserts, this meal is bound to leave your taste buds thoroughly satisfied.

Apart from the hummus, Aladdin also offers other options for a healthy lunch. You can choose from different types of wood-fired pizzas, exotic rice plates, sandwiches, and up to twelve different types of entrees. These can be accompanied by lentil soup, herbal tea, or a variety of regular or sugar-free drinks for refreshment.

Aladdin also serves healthy vegetarian food for customers that have specific dietary restrictions. The restaurant also prepares vegan food on request, with the chefs at Aladdin always keen to ensure vegan and vegetarian meals are healthy. If you would like to deliveries made at home or for your office, Aladdin offers catering services to ensure you can still enjoy a healthy lunch outside its premises. Corporate catering is also offered for clients that would like to have meals served during meetings or other corporate events.

When planning your meals, always ensure to eat a healthy, balanced diet for meals during lunchtime.