I’ve travelled around the world, tasted dishes I couldn’t pronounce, tried meals I couldn’t name, and experienced feasts I could never recreate. But in all my incredible travels, I have never found a cuisine that I enjoy quite so much as the one I learned at my mother’s knee – Middle Eastern food.
I genuinely believe Arabic food is some of the most satisfying and flavourful on the planet, which is why I’ve brought everything I know to Australia to share it with you.
Here are my reasons why I think you just can’t beat Middle Eastern food.
1. Hot and cold dishes
Juxtapositions in food are magical.
From the fusion of sweet and savoury like you’d find in salted caramel, to the contrasting textures of softness and crunch like you find in the perfect pavlova, bringing opposites together is a time-honoured tradition across the world.
However, I’ve noticed that not many cultures pair hot and cold dishes quite like Middle Eastern cuisine. You’ll find it especially in our traditional mezze options, which encourage you to switch between warm and cool, sweet and savoury, and crunchy and soft.
2. Use of spices
Middle Eastern cuisine isn’t the only one to use spices liberally throughout its dishes, but there is certainly something special about just how we use them.
From cumin, cardamom, and caraway, to nutmeg, turmeric, anise, and many more, we have a rich library of spices that we use to add bouquets of aromas and flavours to every dish we create.
Bland food is basically a sin in my family, so you’ll never encounter boring or dull meals when you visit Middle Eastern restaurants, but you will be blown away by the variety of spices used, and just how well they work in unison to bring out the best in every dish.
3. It’s made to share
One of the key principles of Middle Eastern food is that it is made to share. In my culture, food is about coming together and sharing a meal with friends, family, and even strangers, which is why our meals are designed to be enjoyed by many.
This idea is best seen through our mezze platters. Here, everyone can gather together to try a little of one dish, a little of another, and share not just company and space, but food as well.
4. We’ve had time to perfect it
Middle Eastern food is, quite literally, ancient.
Classic dishes and spices that we used today have been staples in Levantine homes for thousands of years, and while there’s certainly plenty of variation as these meals have evolved and been adapted over time, they have only become better for it.
Suffice to say, we’ve had quite a lot of time to perfect it. That’s why you’ll find our pitas so flavoursome and filling, why our spice blends are always impactful but never overwhelming, and why our combination of textures and ingredients is perfectly balanced every time.
5. Hummus.
If there’s one word that could convince most people that Middle Eastern food is simply fantastic, it’s hummus.
This deceptively simple dish is beloved by all, and its versatility means that you can alter it to better suit your tastes and needs. Yet at its core, it’s a simply delicious dip or spread that goes with just about anything, and is even high in fibre and plant-based protein – what more could you want?
Middle Eastern food is, in my humble opinion, the best in the world. Let me prove it to you. Make your booking at Alma’s so I can convince you why you can’t beat this incredible feel good food.
