What Is Mediterranean Cuisine? Explore The Famous Delicacies Of ...

Sign In

TOI

Go toTOIEtimes

• home
• lifestyle
• relationship
• food news
• Health+
• style
• visual stories
• trending
• parenting
• soul search
• beauty
• books
• recipes
• travel
• home & garden
• events
• spotlight

• News
• lifestyle
• food-news
• What is Mediterranean cuisine? Explore the famous delicacies of Mediterranean cuisine

What is Mediterranean cuisine? Explore the famous delicacies of Mediterranean cuisineTIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Aug 2, 2021, 13:57 ISTShareAA+Text Size

• Small
• Medium
• Large

Follow us

1/6

What is Mediterranean cuisine?

Mediterranean cuisine involves the food cooked and prepared by the people living near the Mediterranean Basin. The blend of different flavors brought by different cultures in this region makes up Mediterranean cuisine.

There are quite similarities between the food prepared by different cultures, but the cuisine can be divided into three regions. First is North African which happens to be Morocco. Spices play a main role in the preparation of North African food. Next is Southern Europe which comprises Spain, France, and Italy. Their food mostly has to do with lots of herbs and wine. Finally, there is Eastern Mediterranean which covers Greece, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.

Mediterranean diet promotes healthy and sustainable living. It includes lots of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and grains. Bread is their staple food. There are many delicacies prepared from bread and different foods. Let’s explore these appetizing and delicious delicacies of Mediterranean cuisine.

(IMAGE: iStock)

2/6

Pita Bread

Pita Bread has gone popular in recent years, and it’s usually paired with hummus. It’s a round pocket bread that is baked in an oven or tannur that is similar to the modern tandoor. This bread is predominant in Mediterranean cuisine and is made from all-purpose flour. It’s available in all shapes and sizes. Pita Bread by nature is super soft and goes along well with dips. You can also make pita chips and enjoy them with mayo dip.

(IMAGE: iStock)

3/6

​Lebanese Chickpea Falafel

Lebanese Chickpea Falafel is a classic chickpea street food of the middle east. The Falafel looks like a Veg Tikki in texture but it’s more round in shape. It makes a great appetizer. You can enjoy the falafel by stuffing the pita bread with falafel, sauces, and lots of veggies. Also, you can have them with your favorite dip.

Falafels are generally deep-fried but you can also bake them. They are prepared by mixing chickpea and besan in a melange of spices.

(IMAGE: iStock)

4/6

Hummus

Just like bread, hummus is also very popular in Mediterranean cuisine. It’s made by blending chickpeas with tahini, olive oil, and herbs. Usually, store-bought hummus uses canola oil for its preparation which is less healthy than olive oil. So, always make hummus at your home to avoid the unhealthy junk and bland taste of preservatives. Hummus makes a great combination with pita bread and veggies.

(IMAGE: iStock)

5/6

Mediterranean Quinoa

If you’re not a big fan of Quinoa, then this recipe is going to change your opinion on Quinoa. This bowl either uses hummus or the smoky red bell pepper sauce. The bell pepper sauce is prepared by blending red bell pepper, almonds, and a lot of different ingredients together. You can also add your favorite veggies to make the dish more flavourful and interesting.

This Mediterranean Quinoa bowl can be your go-to meal if you’re a fan of Mediterranean cuisine.

(IMAGE: iStock)

6/6

Baklava

Baklava is a sweet pastry that is prepared by layering phyllo dough and filling it with nuts. It’s a Middle-East confection that tastes super delicious. You can get your hands on this sweet, crunchy dessert if you visit any traditional Turkish restaurant.

Also, Baklava can be prepared at your home by making honey syrup, a filling of nuts, and finally layering the sheets with the ingredients. It’s a complex process but not for someone who loves cooking.

(IMAGE: iStock)

Follow Us On Social Media

Photostories

• 1
• 2
• 3

Food videos

32:03

32:03

27:30

13:05

16:34

04:34

06:37

03:19

04:48

07:18

08:08

06:47

03:20

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

More Videos

Featured In Food

MORE FROM ETIMES

life & styleAnuj AroraBaby NamesJacinda ArdernRakesh B. Pal StoryArtery PlaqueLiving and entertainmentETimesTravel DestinationsCricbuzz.comTVLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTimes PrimeWhats HotServicesCouponDuniaTechGigTimesJobsBollywood NewsTimes MobileGadgetsWork with UsColombiaHot on the WebRepublic Day WishesAmitabh BachchanJames CameronAnuj AroraJana NayaganRepublic Day WishesJaaved JaaferiBorder 2 CollectionFake Sweet PotatoBorder 2 ReviewBorder 2 Movie ReviewDhurandhar OTTRalph Waldo EmersonTere Ishq Mein OTTStephen HawkingBaby NamesTom CruiseBaba Vanga Prediction 2026Palaash MuchhalRimi SenSenecaThe 50 ContestantsDhurandhar OTTRabbi ShergillThe Raja Saab Box Office CollectionDhurandhar Movie CollectionAsia Longest RiverKumar SanuDhurandhar Movie ReviewSaraswati Puja 2026William ShakespeareRiver That Flows BackwardsWorld Largest Beaver DamSnake Plant BenefitsQuote Of The Day By Bill GatesLongest Venomous King CobraMoon LakeLara TrumpJensen HuangGoogle Photo AI MemeDavos 2026Trending TopicsLatest MoviesBollywood MoviesHollywood MoviesTamil Movies 2026Telugu Movies 2026Malayalam Movies 2026Kannada MoviesMarathi MoviesBengali Movies 2026Top Rated Movies 2026Best Hindi MoviesBest English MoviesBest Telugu MoviesBest Tamil MoviesBest Malayalam MoviesBest Kannada MoviesBest Bengali MoviesUpcoming Hindi MoviesBest Movies Of All TimeBest Hindi Movies of All TimeLatest English MoviesLatest Malayalam MoviesEnglish TV NewsTamil TV NewsTelugu TV NewsMalayalam TV NewsKannada TV NewsMovie ReviewsBhojpuri Cinema NewsGujarati Cinema NewsPopular CategoriesViral NewsK Pop NewsWeb Series NewsAnime NewsUpcoming English MoviesUpcoming Tamil MoviesUpcoming Telugu MoviesUpcoming Malayalam MoviesUpcoming Kannada MoviesFashion TipsTravel NewsEntertainment NewsBollywood NewsTollywood NewsKollywood NewsMollywood NewsFood NewsLatest Hindi MoviesLatest Tamil MoviesParenting TipsHome RemediesWeight LossBeauty TipsParenting TipsHindi VideosHindi Video SongsBhojpuri Music VideosLatest Telugu MoviesBhojpuri Music VideoHindi TV NewsLatest NewsSunny Deol meets family of Param Vir Chakra hero Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon as 'Border 2' continues to impress audiencesLiterary fest at AIIMS Delhi celebrates creativity and the human side of medicineLiterary fest at AIIMS Delhi celebrates creativity and the human side of medicineThe return of Pa’ashi as Tulare Lake floods California farmland again after 130 yearsTaurus Weekly Shani Horoscope, January 26 to February 1, 2026: Saturn trims what is bloated, excess will not surviveWeekly numerology prediction, January 25 to January 31, 2026, based on the first letter of your nameCold, flu, or just tired? How to tell and what to doOdia music composer Abhijit Majumdar passes away at the age of 54Kareena Kapoor wishes ‘Laughs and Smiles’ to Riddhima Kapoor and Bharat Sahni on their 20th wedding anniversary‘Bad News Bears’ makes a streaming comeback following ‘Landman’ Season 2 finaleUnion Budget 2026: What students and parents expect beyond schemes and slogans‘Mercy’ director Timur Bekmambetov talks making film with Chris Pratt, says ‘He played this for the first time’How to block and unblock someone on InstagramCNG, PNG price cuts ahead of Republic-Day in UP's 5 cities including LucknowRomeo Bechkam and Cruz Beckham spotted Paris amid the family feud between Brooklyn and Victoria BeckhamIAF Agniveervayu intake 01/2027 registration underway: Check direct link to apply, exam pattern hereRanji Trophy: Mumbai set for innings win vs HyderabadQuote of the day by Morgan Freeman: ‘Courage is the key to life itself.’Copyright © 2026 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication ServiceFollow us on