Baba Ghanouj

Roasted eggplant, tahini, spices

Baklava

A rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Chelo Kabob Koobide

Ground beef and lamb skewer

Dolmadaes

Grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions, special herbs

Falafel

A deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans.

Feta

A brined curd cheese traditionally made in Greece.

Gyros (Pronounced Yee-Ros)

A Turkish dish made of roasted meat cooked on a vertical spit.  It consists of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats roasted on a spit.

Hummus

Puree of chick peas, tahini, lemon juice and spices

Joojeh

Chicken skewers marinated in saffron sauce

Kabob

Includes grilled, roasted, and stewed dishes of large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls.

Khoresh Bademjan

Persian braised meat and eggplant

Moussaka

An eggplant based dish of the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East. The best known variation outside the region is the Greek one.

Persian Must o Khiar

Yogurt cucumber rice

Shirazi

A salad without lettuce; tomato, cucumber, onion and mint salad

Sholen Zard

Rice, sugar, saffron, rosewater, pistachios, almond and cinnamon

Souvlaki

A popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate

Spanakopita

Cheese and spinach pie

Tahini

Paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking.

Tyropita

Cheese pie

Tzatziki Sauce

Made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, sometimes lemon juice, and parsley.