Must-Try Middle Eastern Recipes

There is a whole lot more to Middle Eastern breads than just pita. Case in point: these fluffy, golden-brown Turkish pide that are a favorite for breaking fasts during the holy month of Ramadan. They get a but of crunch and savory little explosions of flavor from nigella seeds, which have a faintly onion-like aroma.

This Turkish dish comes from the Mediterranean town of Izmir, which is a popular tourist destination for Turks and foreigners, alike. It's basically a dish of baked meatballs with potatoes in a flavorful tomato sauce. However, the real magic of this dish lies in its seasonings, which include fruity Aleppo chili flakes and nutty ground cumin.

Hummus is perhaps one of the most famous dishes from the Middle East, and there are as many ways of making it as there are countries in this region of the world. This version has a bright lemon flavor and a hint of nuttiness from ground cumin.

This salad is very popular in the Levant, the region of the Middle East comprising of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Jordan. It's a fresh green salad that gets an extra crunchy hit from little diamonds of toasted pita bread.