Předpokládaná doba čtení: 3 minuty
The Middle East blends cultures and cuisines from across Asia, Europe, and Africa. From Lebanon to Iran, local dishes mix Persian, Arab, and Jewish influences. Discover bold flavors and rich aromas with your eStravenka, you can enjoy the journey bite by bite.
What is Middle Eastern cuisine like?
Middle Eastern cuisine is considered one of the most colorful and diverse in the world. It’s built on fresh ingredients, rich spices, and fragrant herbs. Shared meals are common—large plates and bowls are placed in the center of the table, and everyone helps themselves. Bread and flatbreads are staples, often used to scoop up dishes or wrap fillings like roasted shawarma or chickpea-based falafel.
Main courses are typically meat-heavy, including favorites like kofta herbed and spiced meatballs—grilled kebabs, and maqluba, a layered dish of rice, fried meat, eggplant, and potatoes.
Fresh tabbouleh salad made with tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice, onion, and bulgur is a perfect side to meat dishes. Mutabbal, a creamy dip made from grilled eggplant, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, is another favorite. And no Middle Eastern feast is complete without something sweet desserts are rich, often filled with nuts and drenched in butter and syrup.
Treat yourself to a lunch or dinner with a taste of the Orient
Visit Paprika, an Israeli bistro and restaurant with several locations in Prague and Brno. Here you can enjoy authentic Middle Eastern specialties like hummus with shawarma, stuffed grape leaves, whole roasted cauliflower, or shakshuka—a flavorful one-pan dish of vegetables and eggs.
Another great tip is Mayada, a Syrian restaurant in Brno founded by Mrs. Mayada, who fled the war in Syria. The menu features healthy, vegetarian dishes inspired by Syrian cuisine—stuffed eggplants, spinach with carrots and nuts, hummus, or ouzi (a mix of filo pastry, carrots, peas, and cashews) served with rice. And don’t miss the coffee with cardamom.
Our third tip is Cedr, a Lebanese restaurant in Plzeň offering traditional kebabs, stuffed peppers, falafel, kofta, moussaka, and many more delights.
So, who are you taking with you? And don’t forget your eStravenka card at home!
