Quick Summary in the Diversity in Mediterranean Cuisine

Mediterranean cuisine revolves around products common to the entire Mediterranean basin: seafood, vegetables from the sun, olive oil, fruit from the vine, and orchard.

Whether on the European, Maghrebian, or Near Eastern side, the cuisine of the Mediterranean basin reminds us of light, sunny, varied cuisine, with the good taste of olive oil and iodized accents which is prepared especially in summer and recalls the friendliness of the holidays.

Mediterranean Cuisine From Southern Europe

On the French side, we think especially of Provencal cuisine which has many recipes based on seafood: Marseille aïoli, bouillabaisse, bottarga … Other regions also have specialties such as tielle sétoise. In Spain, we find the Mediterranean sun in the traditional paella. In Italy, fish, shellfish, and seafood are a great addition to pasta and risottos. In Greece, vegetables from the sun are particularly honored in crudités salads or cooked in tomato and white wine sauce. Less known, it is also interesting to mention the gastronomies of other countries such as Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Slovenia, and the island of Malta.

Mediterranean Cuisine from Africa North

Here we are talking about the countries of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, which have quite similar gastronomies. Zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables are prepared candied in olive oil or raw in salads, they garnish broths or stews of lamb, mutton, or chicken. Fish and seafood can be grilled like sardines, prepared in a tagine or come to decorate a couscous of the sea in some regions. The grapes, typically Mediterranean, are dried and are used in the preparation of many savory and sweet dishes.

Mediterranean Cuisine From the Middle East

The countries concerned are Turkey, the island of Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and they have a varied and fairly close cuisine. Many specialties are common to these countries such as dolmas which are stuffed vegetables, grilled meat, and poultry such as kebab or chawarma depending on the country. We find in all of these countries the concept of mezzes which are an assortment of dishes to share and eat with flatbread. The most famous recipes are eggplant caviar, hummus made from chickpeas, yogurt tzatziki or bourek which are stuffed puff pastry.