Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets (Part 7 of 7)
Reposted from the web
Summary: Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Every year during Ramadan, having an Iftar buffet at one of the foreign restaurants in Beijing is a regular tradition for me. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Iftar, Ramadan Food, Halal Buffets while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I will take this opportunity to explain the different categories of Arab cuisine. First, the Arab world can be divided into two main parts: east and west. The North African region, excluding Egypt, is called the Maghreb, which means the land of the sunset. The food here is strongly influenced by the Berbers. The staple food is couscous, and specialties include North African sausages and tagine. The Tunisian restaurant La Medina on Liangma River is a representative of this style.
The eastern part of the Arab world is called the Mashriq, which means the land of the sunrise. The Arab regions east of Egypt belong to this area. The staple food here is long-grain rice rather than couscous. All Arab restaurants in Beijing except for La Medina belong to this region.
The Mashriq region can be further divided into several areas. First is the Arabian Peninsula. This region loves camel meat and various types of rice pilaf, with Yemeni cuisine being the most famous. There are several Yemeni restaurants in Guangzhou.
Cuisine in the Mesopotamia region, dominated by Iraq, is also very rich. This was once the court of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the earliest Arab cookbooks came from here. The owner of Taiba in Sanlitun is Iraqi. If you are interested, you can go and have a taste.
Among all Arab cuisines, Levantine cuisine has the most far-reaching influence. The Levant refers to the eastern Mediterranean coast, including Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding areas. Levantine cuisine is most famous for its meze, which has influenced the eating habits of the entire Middle East. Syrian restaurants like 1001 Nights and BRBR in Beijing, the Lebanese restaurant Al Ameen, and Palestinian restaurants like Al Safir and Zayton all belong to Levantine cuisine.
Summary: Halal Food Guide: Beijing Ramadan Iftar — Five International Buffets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Every year during Ramadan, having an Iftar buffet at one of the foreign restaurants in Beijing is a regular tradition for me. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Iftar, Ramadan Food, Halal Buffets while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I will take this opportunity to explain the different categories of Arab cuisine. First, the Arab world can be divided into two main parts: east and west. The North African region, excluding Egypt, is called the Maghreb, which means the land of the sunset. The food here is strongly influenced by the Berbers. The staple food is couscous, and specialties include North African sausages and tagine. The Tunisian restaurant La Medina on Liangma River is a representative of this style.
The eastern part of the Arab world is called the Mashriq, which means the land of the sunrise. The Arab regions east of Egypt belong to this area. The staple food here is long-grain rice rather than couscous. All Arab restaurants in Beijing except for La Medina belong to this region.
The Mashriq region can be further divided into several areas. First is the Arabian Peninsula. This region loves camel meat and various types of rice pilaf, with Yemeni cuisine being the most famous. There are several Yemeni restaurants in Guangzhou.
Cuisine in the Mesopotamia region, dominated by Iraq, is also very rich. This was once the court of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the earliest Arab cookbooks came from here. The owner of Taiba in Sanlitun is Iraqi. If you are interested, you can go and have a taste.
Among all Arab cuisines, Levantine cuisine has the most far-reaching influence. The Levant refers to the eastern Mediterranean coast, including Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and surrounding areas. Levantine cuisine is most famous for its meze, which has influenced the eating habits of the entire Middle East. Syrian restaurants like 1001 Nights and BRBR in Beijing, the Lebanese restaurant Al Ameen, and Palestinian restaurants like Al Safir and Zayton all belong to Levantine cuisine.
