30 Middle Eastern Ramadan Street Foods You Must Try!
Middle Eastern cuisine boasts a rich array of delicious street foods, each bursting with unique flavors and cultural heritage. Here's a list of 30 popular Middle Eastern street foods:
Falafel: Deep-fried balls made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, typically served in pita bread with tahini sauce and salad.
Shawarma: Layers of seasoned meat (usually chicken, beef, or lamb) roasted on a vertical rotisserie, then shaved off and served in flatbread or pita with vegetables and sauce.
Kebabs: Skewered and grilled chunks of meat, such as lamb, beef, or chicken, often served with rice, salad, and bread.
Hummus: A creamy dip made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, often served with pita bread or vegetables.
Baba Ganoush: A smoky eggplant dip made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, often served with pita bread.
Tabbouleh: A refreshing salad made from finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, bulgur wheat, onions, and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice.
Kibbeh: Deep-fried croquettes made from bulgur wheat, minced onions, and ground meat (usually lamb), seasoned with spices.
Samosas: Triangular pastries filled with spiced vegetables, meat (like lamb or chicken), or cheese, then deep-fried until crispy.
Manakish: Flatbread topped with za'atar (a blend of herbs, sesame seeds, and sumac), cheese, or ground meat, then baked in a wood-fired oven.
Fatayer: Triangular pastries stuffed with various fillings such as spinach, cheese, or meat, then baked or fried.
Foul Mudammas: Cooked fava beans mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and often served with chopped tomatoes, parsley, and onions.
Kunafa: A sweet pastry made with thin noodle-like pastry soaked in sugar syrup and layered with cheese or nuts, then baked until golden and crispy.
Maqluba: A savory rice dish layered with meat (usually chicken, lamb, or beef), vegetables, and spices, then cooked in a pot and inverted for serving.
Mutabbal: A dip similar to baba ganoush but made with roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and yogurt, often garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Lahmacun: Thin, crispy flatbread topped with a seasoned mixture of minced meat (usually lamb or beef), onions, tomatoes, and herbs, then baked.
Fatteh: A layered dish made with pieces of toasted or fried pita bread, topped with a mixture of yogurt, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and olive oil, then garnished with pine nuts and parsley.
Mujaddara: A comforting dish made with cooked lentils and rice, topped with caramelized onions and served with yogurt.
Shakshuka: Eggs poached in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce, often served with bread for dipping.
Halawet el Jibn: Sweet cheese rolls filled with clotted cream or sweetened cheese, then soaked in sugar syrup.
Fasolia: Stewed white beans cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices, often served with rice or bread.
Koshari: A hearty Egyptian dish made with layers of rice, lentils, chickpeas, pasta, and topped with a spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
Zalabya: Deep-fried dough balls drizzled with syrup, similar to doughnuts but often flavored with rose water or orange blossom water.
Baklava: Layers of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey or syrup.
Mahalabia: A creamy milk pudding flavored with rose water or orange blossom water, topped with chopped nuts or fruit.
Karak Chai: Strong, sweet tea flavored with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, often served in small glasses.
Ayran: A refreshing yogurt-based drink mixed with water and salt, sometimes flavored with mint.
Turkish Delight: Soft and chewy candies made from starch and sugar, often flavored with rose water, citrus, or nuts.
Manti: Small dumplings filled with spiced meat or cheese, served with yogurt and garlic sauce.
Kofta: Ground meat mixed with herbs and spices, shaped into balls or patties and grilled or fried.
Sambousek: Crispy pastry filled with various fillings such as minced meat, cheese, or spinach, then baked or fried.