The Middle East is overflowing with culture and history, being home to some of the oldest traditions and foods in the world.
While some may have some reservations about travelling out to Middle Eastern countries, the truth is that there is an entire world of rich culture just begging to be explored, as well as large groups of extremely friendly and welcoming people.
The food in Middle Eastern regions is some of the very best in the world, offering a range of spicy and light snacks to warming and delicious foods for colder days.
Whatever the case, these are some of the best street foods worth trying in the Middle East.
Halve
Starting off with one for those that have something of a sweet tooth, halve is a crumbly dessert that can be linked back to the Middle East, but has since found its way across the world.
While there are some questions to its true origins, the name itself is Arabic, and translated means “sweet”. It’s a dessert that can also be found in Israel, where it’s made with sesame tahini.
Knafeh
Knafeh is another dessert, except this one can be traced to Palestine, a country that has truly unique foods. It consists of a pastry that’s filled with cheese, and then the entire thing is soaked in sugar syrup.
It’s also often flavoured with rose water or oranges, and it’s common to find them with chopped pistachio nuts as a garnish on top.
Malabi
Malabi is a desert that can also call the Middle East its home, and similar to Knafeh, rose water makes appearance in this delicacy too.
It’s extremely common to find in both restaurants and on the street, and its gentle taste makes it perfect for those that love dessert but can’t eat food that’s too sweet.
Hummus
Most people have likely found this chickpea paste at their local shops, but it’s one thing to purchase it in a tub, and another to buy it from a street vendor that’s been making a traditional version of hummus for decades, using a truly old recipe.
It’s found throughout the Middle East, and in Israel it’s often served with pita bread, along with a variety of different sides, including olives, raw onions, eggs, and more. Hummus is incredibly easy to make at home for those that don’t have the money to travel after they buy Bitcoin credit card, but can be done with only a few ingredients.
Shakshuka
Shakshuka took some years before it became popular in the West, and these days it’s much more common than it once was. It makes for a good meal at any point of the day, although traditionally it’s eaten as a breakfast.
It consists of a tomato and pepper sauce, flavoured with onion and garlic, cumin and chilli. When the sauce is complete, it’s common for poached eggs to be placed on the top, along with some fresh sprigs of parsley.