Arabic Cuisine - on the Culture of Mezze

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Arabic Cuisine - On The culture of Mezze Eating is social! When alone, or eating by yourself, you most probably would go for the simplest, fastest and least challenging food option. Rarely would anyone go for a 6 or 12 course menu when eating alone! Most people when cooking only for themselves, would tell you ‘I choose simple food. At the end of the day, who am I cooking this for?’ That is very true, because food is social! We like to share food with others. We like to have company when eating. Even mothers would wait for their children to come back home and have lunch together. My mum used to say: “let’s sit with dad” –who would have dinner late after coming back home from work – “so he doesn’t have to eat alone!” In the same effect, food has - since the dawn of man - brought people together. In primitive sense, people hunted in groups, and in progression, we choose food to celebrate achievements, friendships, family, well being, any occasion really. We choose to invite those close to us over food to celebrate and socialise. It is funny how the best cook in the family always ends up having the busiest home in the family. That house becomes the gathering place for the whole family. Even when meeting people for the first time, add food to the equation and immediately the atmosphere becomes cosier, warmer and more relaxed. It is fascinating how food brings people closer together! The Levantine cuisine understands these facts very well, and evidently draws upon them through the creation of the Mezze Tradition. The word Mezze – otherwise known as Muqabilat – is in essence a selection of small dishes served as an appetiser to tingle your taste buds and kick start your appetite. The Mezze culture is that of relaxed food, where people get together and enjoy a variety of food (with or without alcohol) in a laid-back atmosphere, while being social and interacting with
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