Cultural Entry #2 (Alexandra Blankman)

Throughout my first year at Boston University, I have sought out Arab restaurants throughout the Boston area because of my love for Middle Eastern cuisine. Most recently, I came across a Middle Eastern café in Cambridge called Sofra Bakery. Specifically, Sofra’s Bakery is a fusion of Turkish, Lebanese and Persian foods. The bakery was incredible! My friend and I ate from the Meze bar, which included many small plates that we shared with each other. Specifically, we ate a date-braised turnip, muhammara, mujadara and hummus. This classic Middle Eastern dish made me think about how the food fits into the greater Arab culture. I did some research and realize that an Arabic cuisine is more than just a meal. In fact, the whole concept of the meal is based on the idea of hospitality. An Arab meal should always be one of joy and warmth. There are many customs of an Arabic meal that is indicative of this kind of generosity. For example, the host of the meal will generally invite guests to taste each dish and encourage them to take things from each plate to enjoy all of the flavors. This is how the tradition of many small plates within the same meal, or Mezze, came into practice in Arab culture. It also shows me that a country’s food is not only a reflection of its culture but also of its history. For example, I couldn’t help but notice that whipped feta and tzatziki was on Sofra Bakery’s menu. I associate these foods with the Greece and the Mediterranean. However, these foods infiltrated Arab culture because of the continued interaction between these regions over centuries. It is for this reason that Arab cuisine also incorporates some influences from Turkish, Spanish, Italian and French food. In turn, all different types of cuisines from around the world have been influenced by Arab cuisine. In fact, the Arabs introduced Artichockes, Bananas, cherries, coffee, dates, strawberries, sugar, grapefruit, eggplants and rice to the Western world. All of these foods eventually became staples of the Western diet. It is for this reason that a country’s food can tell us so much about a country’s culture and history, http://www.canadianarabcommunity.com/arabiccuisine.php