It was originally made by fishermen who caught whatever they could find and boiled it up to feed their families. Nowadays bouillabaisse can be found in restaurants around the world; however its main ingredients are still dictated by tradition: tomatoes can't be used because tomatoes weren't introduced to Provence until after the 17th century when Spain invaded France! Hummus is a popular dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and sometimes other ingredients. It originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region and is popular across the Middle East. Egyptian cuisine is known for its salads and flatbreads like falafel. Ful medames, a fava bean dish similar to hummus, is another popular Egyptian meal. Moussaka is a Greek dish that originated in Egypt and was later brought to Greece by the Ottomans; it contains eggplant, ground beef or lamb, and béchamel sauce. Bouillabaisse hails from France but originated in Marseille, which was once part of the Ottoman Empire; it's made with fish stock flavored with saffron that can be served over rice or couscous. Chorizo is a type of pork sausage originating from Spain. It can be eaten fresh or cured and smoked, and it's often used in Mediterranean food recipes like paella and Spanish tortilla. The word chorizo comes from the Spanish verb choricear, which means “to chop into small cubes” or “to cut up finely” (Choricero was also the name given to butchers who worked with pig meat). Chorizo is sometimes confused with salami because they're both cured meats commonly found in Mediterranean cuisine. Salami has a smoother texture than an uncooked chorizo, though; it's made with ground beef rather than pork, so it contains more fat and sodium than its country cousin. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, and it’s used in many dishes that are popular in Mediterranean food. Tahini is often used as an ingredient in hummus, but it can also be served on its own as part of a meze (a collection of small dishes). For example: Falafel sandwiches usually include falafel balls that are deep-fried and then served with tahini sauce. The Ottoman Empire was the most powerful state of its day and during its peak controlled a large portion of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. Being a multicultural empire, it had many cuisines circulating in its lands, which were influenced by the many cultures that came together to form it. There are several main categories of Ottoman cuisine, including Balkan (eastern Mediterranean), Anatolian (western Mediterranean), Arab-influenced, Persian-influenced, Greek-influenced and Armenian-influenced dishes.
