There are many variations of hummus. For instance, some recipes call for puréed red bell pepper instead of garlic; others add ground cumin seed or coriander seeds to the mixture; still more add paprika powder along with cumin seeds or coriander seeds to produce an orange colored dip similar in appearance to what Americans think of when they hear “hummus”—but it's technically not called hummus because it does not contain tahini! Hummus is available at grocery stores throughout America but many Americans don't know how simple it is to make at home using dried chickpeas that you can buy from Amazon (or any other place that sells legumes). You simply soak these overnight then boil them until tender before blending together all other ingredients into a thick paste which can be stored in a glass jar--it will keep for several weeks refrigerated! Food is an important part of the Egyptian culture. Local food has been influenced by Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Western as well as African, Indian and Ottoman cuisine. One can find many foods that are unique to Egypt in the streets of Cairo or Alexandria such as falafel and fuul (fava beans). Some popular dishes include: Mokh bel Zeit (also known as mukhbil) is a dish of various vegetables including spinach or lettuce leaves stuffed with rice and meat or fish then steamed in an oven; it is often served with tahini sauce on top. Mukhalalatiyya are chickpeas stuffed with ground beef which are then fried; they are usually eaten with tahini sauce on top. Also known as muhamara or mutabal Chorizo is a spicy sausage that originates from Spain, but is eaten in Portugal and Latin America as well. Made from pork, garlic and paprika, it can be served fried or fresh. The sausage has a distinctive red color due to the addition of paprika powder during its production process. Chorizo is often eaten with eggs for breakfast or lunch; it's also common for chorizo to be served with bread as part of an appetizer platter or tapas spread. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine and is commonly found in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. You can make your own tahini at home by grinding hulled sesame seeds (also called unhulled white sesame seeds) on a dry setting in a food processor or blender until creamy and smooth. Alternatively, it’s also available in jars at most grocery stores if you don’t have time to make it yourself! Ottoman cuisine is the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire and its continuation in the cuisines of Turkey, Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and the Republic of Cyprus. It is a blend of Central Asian Mughal Persian and Balkan Slavic tastes. In fact there are many similarities with Mediterranean Cuisine (see below). The Ottomans introduced coffee to Europe as well as many new fruits like oranges which they brought back from their conquests in Italy and Spain during this time period. Olive is a fruit tree that is native to the Mediterranean region. The olive tree can be found as far north as southern France and southeast England, but it is most common in hot and dry desert climates like those of Morocco and Algeria (source).
