What are the different types of Middle Eastern bread? (2024)

FAQs

What are the different types of Middle Eastern bread? ›

Pita bread, manakish, and barbari bread represent centuries of culinary heritage, reflecting the diverse cultures, traditions, and flavors of the Middle East. These breads are not only staples of daily sustenance but also symbols of hospitality, community, and celebration.

Pita bread, manakish, and barbari bread represent centuries of culinary heritage, reflecting the diverse cultures, traditions, and flavors of the Middle East. These breads are not only staples of daily sustenance but also symbols of hospitality, community, and celebration.

Pita Bread - This flatbread is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine and is made from flour, water, and yeast. It is a versatile bread that can be used for everything from sandwiches to dipping in hummus.

Pita (Greek: πίτα, romanized: pita /ˈpɪtə/ or US: /ˈpiːtə/) or pitta (British English) is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Levant, and neighboring areas.

There are three main kinds of bread in the world those that rise highest so are baked in pans, breads with a medium volume like rye and French breads, and those that hardly rise at all called flatbreads.

Naan is arguably one of the most well-known Indian breads, which has its roots in Persian cuisine but has been embraced and adapted by Indian Muslims over the centuries. This soft and fluffy flatbread is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, resulting in a slight char and a delightful smokey flavour.

Excellent with salame, ham and cheeses, it can be stuffed with sausage, olives, onion and cheese! Cut it into small pieces and eat it with baked aubergine salad (another typical Arab recipe), with soups like the very Arab “macco beans soup”.

Lavash is a soft, paper-thin flatbread. Much like pita, this ancient flatbread is a beloved staple of Armenian and Middle Eastern cuisine that is easy to make at home with pantry ingredients you likely have on hand.

Markouk is a paper-thin Middle Eastern flatbread made with a combination of different flours, salt, and water. It's a light and delicate bread roughly the size of a pillowcase and can reach up to 2 feet in diameter!

What is bread in Egypt? ›

Egyptians refer to bread as “Aish baladi.” In English, Baladi means “traditional”,” but the term “Aish” is the key to understanding the importance of bread in Egyptian culture. Since ancient times, Egyptians have seen bread as “life.” Egyptians regard bread to be a need in their daily diet.

So how does Middle-Eastern pita differ from Greek? What is this? Greek pita bread is typically thicker than Middle Eastern pita and can be split easily to create a pocket for all sorts of fillings like gyro meat or falafels.

Another surprise is that China, with its population exceeding 1.4 billion people, comes in at around just 5.83 kilograms (almost 13 pounds) of bread per capita per year, and the second most populated country in the world, India, eats the least amount of bread, coming in a 1.75 kilos (or almost four pounds per person) ...

Baladi bread is best when baked and eaten on the same day. There are many kinds of local bread in Egypt, including the farmer's flat bread of the Nile Delta and the corn and maize bataw of Upper Egypt that is strewn with grains of fenugreek. These breads may be made with different mixtures of corn, maize, or wheat.

Sangak, barbari, taftoon, and lavash are the most popular breads in Iran [7], [29]. Iranian breads are prepared in different composition, shape, size, texture, color, and flavor.