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In Turkey people will look weird at you when you say im vegetarian, its as if you said you are a homo, espacially if you are Turk. :D

I think that goes for all of the ME. We love meat. Arabs are no different but we also eat tons of rice, bread (wheat and barley mainly), beans, tons of yoghurt, tons of dairy products, herbs and spices, grains (love Bulgur personally), legumes, and all kind of nuts (lol).

In general most ME cuisines are very similar. Very similar. The only distinguish cuisine I can think of are that of Southern Arabia, Hijaz and the "Khaliji" (Eastern Arabia) of the Arabian Peninsula and that's mainly because we tend to use much more spices than traditional Turkish and Iranian cuisine which is due to the trade with South Asia and especially South East Asia. We also have something that we share with India which is making rice with coconut. Here I am talking about Southern Arabia mainly though. (parts of Yemen and Oman).

But basically talking about the differences of ME cuisine in a simplistic way is like talking about the differences between South East Asian cuisine, for instance Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Malaysian etc. All are very similar. You don't have to be an expert on the ME cuisine to see that. It only talks a quick reading and a few visits to restaurants.
 
I think that goes for all of the ME. We love meat. Arabs are no different but we also eat tons of rice, bread (wheat and barley mainly), beans, tons of yoghurt, tons of dairy products, herbs and spices, grains (love Bulgur personally), legumes, and all kind of nuts (lol).

In general most ME cuisines are very similar. Very similar. The only distinguish cuisine I can think of are that of Southern Arabia, Hijaz and the "Khaliji" (Eastern Arabia) of the Arabian Peninsula and that's mainly because we tend to use much more spices than traditional Turkish and Iranian cuisine which is due to the trade with South Asia and especially South East Asia. We also have something that we share with India which is making rice with coconut. Here I am talking about Southern Arabia mainly though. (parts of Yemen and Oman).

But basically talking about the differences of ME cuisine in a simplistic way is like talking about the differences between South East Asian cuisine, for instance Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Malaysian etc. All are very similar. You don't have to be an expert on the ME cuisine to see that. It only talks a quick reading and a few visits to restaurants.
Rice with coconut sound delicious. :happy:
 
Rice with coconut sound delicious. :happy:

It is.

Anyway I doubt that there is a Yemeni restaurant in Switzerland but there is probably a Ethiopian/Eritrean and those two cuisines are quite similar and then you will understand why the Arabian Peninsula and Eastern Africa have quite big similarities with South Asian cuisine. From what I know about mainly Western India and Southern India.

Indian Ocean trade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

25gc7pv.jpg


We have @ebray who is from Ethiopia and @Belew_Kelew is from Eritrea and they should be able to explain more as they probably know about this too.

Oh we (Hijazis) and people living along the coastlines (after all we are the biggest peninsula on the planet) also eat a lot of fish.

I think I once read that Turks were the biggest consumers of meat in the world or something like that. You are very good at making meat dishes so understandable. I think that all 3 of us (Arabs, Turks and Iranians) share that. Same with breads.

Also I am not sure if you guys eat a lot of wild meat. Do you? I mean stuff like rabbits, birds etc. Camel is also eaten.:D Especially Egypt where it is very popular. Also in Syria and the Arabian Peninsula.
 
It is.

Anyway I doubt that there is a Yemeni restaurant in Switzerland but there is probably a Ethiopian/Eritrean and those two cuisines are quite similar and then you will understand why the Arabian Peninsula and Eastern Africa have quite big similarities with South Asian cuisine. From what I know about mainly Western India and Southern India.

Indian Ocean trade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We have @ebray who is from Ethiopia and @Belew_Kelew is from Eritrea and they should be able to explain more as they probably know about this too.

Oh we (Hijazis) and people living along the coastlines (after all we are the biggest peninsula on the planet) also eat a lot of fish.

I think I once read that Turks were the biggest consumers of meat in the world or something like that. You are very good at making meat dishes so understandable. I think that all 3 of us (Arabs, Turks and Iranians) share that. Same with breads.

Also I am not sure if you guys eat a lot of wild meat. Do you? I mean stuff like rabbits, birds etc. Camel is also eaten.:D Especially Egypt where it is very popular. Also in Syria and the Arabian Peninsula.
I visited a nigerian restaurant once and barely survived it, thx but no thx, no african restaurant anymore. :D
But i never visited a Arabic restaurant yet and havent found one, maybe i should go over to France just to try Arabic food.

About meat, we are pretty boring about that, there are surely people eating wild meat but, mostly beef, lamb and such stuff and fish is also popular, horse is pretty common in CA Turkic states but not in Turkey since its mekruh.
 
I visited a nigerian restaurant once and barely survived it, thx but no thx, no african restaurant anymore. :D
But i never visited a Arabic restaurant yet and havent found one, maybe i should go over to France just to try Arabic food.

About meat, we are pretty boring about that, there are surely people eating wild meat but, mostly beef, lamb and such stuff and fish is also popular, horse is pretty common in CA Turkic states but not in Turkey since its mekruh.

Mate, Nigerian cuisine has nothing to do with Horn of Africa cuisine. That cuisine is very similar to ME cuisine (Arab and others) and South Asian cuisine. With some Italian touches due to that region being under Italian rule for about 100 years or so.



I have never tried African cuisine either outside of Horn of Africa cuisine. By African I mean everything South of Sahara. You should try North African Arab/Berber cuisine. The cuisines from Morocco to Egypt. You will notice a lot of similarities. Also between Southern European cuisines nearby.

I have no clue about Nigerian cuisine I have to admit.

In France you will have no problem finding Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian etc. cuisine due to the very big Arab diaspora there. In Germany there are also some Arab restaurants. I have been at one in Munich. Not sure about Switzerland as I have only eaten at fast food "restaurants" there and those restaurants along the highway. Outside of a stop we did in Lugano and that's just the Italian part of Switzerland so the cuisine was very similar to Northern Italian.

Well, Arabs are not as extreme as Chinese, Africans and many other peoples but we eat almost everything that is meat outside of pork obviously. Lamb, chicken, beef, turkey, wild meat, camel etc. Yes, and some even eat lizards (read Uromastyx microlepis or dabb as it is called by Najdis) and this is eaten by some people in Najd (not really elsewhere in KSA or the Arab world for that matter) and it is considered a delicacy. Those reptiles are only eating plants and are not poisonous and rather clean animals. Harmless too. They are just scary looking for some. Apparently it tastes like chicken meat. @Irfan Baloch has tried it but most Saudi Arabians let alone Hijazis have never tried it and won't ever try it. It's mostly the older generation of SOME Najdis and they made their children eat it. At the end of the day they are meat as any other meat and nothing compared to what Chinese etc. eat.:lol: Still many non-Arabs use this insult against Arabs rather ignorantly.:D

Oh, we have the same view of horses. Nobody eats horses. It's looked down upon as we love horses.:D

Also of course we drink TON of coffee and tea and numerous juices.

I really should write a book or two…
 
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Mate, Nigerian cuisine has nothing to do with Horn of Africa cuisine. That cuisine is very similar to ME cuisine (Arab and others) and South Asian cuisine. With some Italian touches due to that region being under Italian rule for about 100 years or so.



I have never tried African cuisine either outside of Horn of Africa cuisine. By African I mean everything South of Sahara. You should try North African Arab/Berber cuisine. The cuisines from Morocco to Egypt. You will notice a lot of similarities. Also between Southern European cuisines nearby.

I have no clue about Nigerian cuisine I have to admit.

In France you will have no problem finding Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian etc. cuisine due to the very big Arab diaspora there. In Germany there are also some Arab restaurants. I have been at one in Munich. Not sure about Switzerland as I have only eaten at fast food "restaurants" there and those restaurants along the highway. Outside of a stop we did in Lugano and that's just the Italian part of Switzerland so the cuisine was very similar to Northern Italian.

Well, Arabs are not as extreme as Chinese, Africans and many other peoples but we eat almost everything that is meat outside of pork obviously. Lamb, chicken, beef, turkey, wild meat, camel etc. Yes, and some even eat lizards (read Uromastyx microlepis or dabb as it is called by Najdis) and this is eaten by some people in Najd (not really elsewhere in KSA or the Arab world for that matter) and it is considered a delicacy. Those reptiles are only eating plants and are not poisonous and rather clean animals. Harmless too. They are just scary looking for some. Apparently it tastes like chicken meat. @Irfan Baloch has tried it but most Saudi Arabians let alone Hijazis have never tried it and won't ever try it. It's mostly the older generation of SOME Najdis and they made their children eat it. At the end of the day they are meat as any other meat and nothing compared to what Chinese etc. eat.:lol: Still many non-Arabs use this insult against Arabs rather ignorantly.:D

Oh, we have the same view of horses. Nobody eats horses. It's looked down upon as we love horses.:D

Also of course we drink TON of coffee and tea and numerous juices.

I really should write a book or two…
Well i wouldnt eat lizard but i dont think its such an extraordinary meal, there are definately way worse dishes around. :D
In Turkey and Iran sheep brain is a delicacy, its at least as bad as lizard if you ask me. :)
 
Well i wouldnt eat lizard but i dont think its such an extraordinary meal, there are definately way worse dishes around. :D
In Turkey and Iran sheep brain is a delicacy, its at least as bad as lizard if you ask me. :)

Actually the problem is that people think that all Arabs eat it while it is mostly only eaten in one region of KSA and that among a minority even in that region. People of Bedouin background. Ask any Saudi Arabian user here on PDF and I doubt that anyone has ever tried it. Most people say that it tastes like chicken and as long as it is not poisonous then let people eat it. Or as long as they do not kill off that animal.


Well half of the world (if not more) is eating monkeys, dogs, snakes, hundreds of reptiles and all kind of other very strange cuisine and I think that us Arabs and other ME people have nothing to complain about in this department.

I actually think that sheep brain is also eaten in some Arab countries, lol. Iraq only I believe. But not sure. After all I might know the basics but I am no expert about Arab cuisine and the cuisine of all Arab countries and their regions etc. Doubt that anyone is.:lol:

Well, I asked about the wild meat because I was curious if you ate rabbits and other wild meat as this is something I thought.:D

Anyway as I have told many times then I am a big fan of Adana kebab. It is very similar to the way Hijazi kebabs are made and those in the Levant. Must be some shared heritage there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adana_kebabı
 
Actually the problem is that people think that all Arabs eat it while it is mostly only eaten in one region of KSA and that among a minority even in that region. People of Bedouin background. Ask any Saudi Arabian user here on PDF and I doubt that anyone has ever tried it. Most people say that it tastes like chicken and as long as it is not poisonous then let people eat it. Or as long as they do not kill off that animal.


Well half of the world (if not more) is eating monkeys, dogs, snakes, hundreds of reptiles and all kind of other very strange cuisine and I think that us Arabs and other ME people have nothing to complain about in this department.

I actually think that sheep brain is also eaten in some Arab countries, lol. Iraq only I believe. But not sure. After all I might know the basics but I am no expert about Arab cuisine and the cuisine of all Arab countries and their regions etc. Doubt that anyone is.:lol:

Well, I asked about the wild meat because I was curious if you ate rabbits and other wild meat as this is something I thought.:D
As i said wild meat is eaten but not so widespread rabbit is actually quite common in some countrys, in Switzerland you can get them in supermarkets.
 
As i said wild meat is eaten but not so widespread rabbit is actually quite common in some countrys, in Switzerland you can get them in supermarkets.

Mate, now that you are around. What is the main delicacy of Switzerland other than Swiss cheese or is that ignorance from my part? I know that you are famous for making diary products and such things like chocolate and sweets. Switzerland is a interesting country because you have a German, French and Italian part. I mean what do the average Swiss person consider himself? I mean do people in the French part of Switzerland have an affinity with French people? Also who are the indigenous Swiss? The Romansh speaking people?

Also why are there so many Albanians? I have met Albanians here in Denmark and then we became closer (started talking about all kind of things and I am a big talker like I am a big writer, lol) and I learned that many of them have relatives in Switzerland.

I always thought that Switzerland was harsh on immigration not form Europe and in general? It's a interesting country. I also know that you guys are heavily armed. A bit like KSA, Yemen, Pakistan and many other countries out there. Just more peaceful.:lol:

It must be a good thing living in Switzerland. Many rich people from France and Denmark are settling in Switzerland due to the tax laws. As you might know then taxation is a hell in both France and Denmark so people that can afford it often chose to settle in Switzerland. I mean among the rich class.
 
Mate, now that you are around. What is the main delicacy of Switzerland other than Swiss cheese or is that ignorance from my part? I know that you are famous for making diary products and such things like chocolate and sweets. Switzerland is a interesting country because you have a German, French and Italian part. I mean what do the average Swiss person consider himself? I mean do people in the French part of Switzerland have an affinity with French people? Also who are the indigenous Swiss? The Romansh speaking people?

Also why are there so many Albanians? I have met Albanians here in Denmark and then we became closer (started talking about all kind of things and I am a big talker like I am a big writer, lol) and I learned that many of them have relatives in Switzerland.

I always thought that Switzerland was harsh on immigration not form Europe and in general? It's a interesting country. I also know that you guys are heavily armed. A bit like KSA, Yemen, Pakistan and many other countries out there. Just more peaceful.:lol:
Well its mostly cheese but there is also Fondue Chinoise which isnt Switzer origin.

wangengastro_gmbh_fondue_chinoise_main_image.jpg


Hot pot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other than that Switzerland doesnt have much own dishes since its a tiny country surrounded by others.


Switzer hates to be associated with any of their neighbors, i have to admit they are a little bit arrogant because they are so successful in everything, at least very nationalistic people compared to rest of Europe, they even have a word for everything from Swiss, the so called ''Swissness''. :)


Most Albanians came in Kosovo war, most of them are Kosovo Albanians, we Turks are good with them but sometimes we like to tease them with their Ottoman past if they piss us off. :lol:


Its just naturally that Switzerland is more harsh than rest of Europe with immigration, i mean its a tiny country with almost double GDP per capita than its surroundings only topped by Lichtenstein, so EU shouldnt expect Switzerland to be same easy with immigration as they are.
 
Ohh and talking about armed Switzerland, heres the reason why Hitler didnt dare to invade Switzerland even thought he believed that all German speaking countrys should be united. :D

F-5-Turtmann-Cave.jpg


sriimg20080918-9743629-2-data.jpg


640px-Euschelsbunker.jpg


swissfort.jpg
 
Well its mostly cheese but there is also Fondue Chinoise which isnt Switzer origin.

View attachment 158298

Hot pot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other than that Switzerland doesnt have much own dishes since its a tiny country surrounded by others.


Switzer hates to be associated with any of their neighbors, i have to admit they are a little bit arrogant because they are so successful in everything, at least very nationalistic people compared to rest of Europe, they even have a word for everything from Swiss, the so called ''Swissness''. :)


Most Albanians came in Kosovo war, most of them are Kosovo Albanians, we Turks are good with them but sometimes we like to tease them with their Ottoman past if they piss us off. :lol:


Its just naturally that Switzerland is more harsh than rest of Europe with immigration, i mean its a tiny country with almost double GDP per capita than its surroundings only topped by Lichtenstein, so EU shouldnt expect Switzerland to be same easy with immigration as they are.

Thanks for the reply mate. Appreciated. Yes, that's French. I mean Fondue. Where does the Chinese part come from? Or is that the "Hot pot" that you have linked to?

Well, excuse me for bothering you with more questions but that's something I find difficult to understand because Switzerland is a rather new country and so is their identity. I mean the Swiss in the South that speak Italian are basically Italians that settled there. Same with the French and Germans (obviously related to Bavarians, Austrians and Swabians). So maybe they need this big doses of nationalism (was not aware of that) because they want to distinguish themselves from their bigger neighbors?

LOL. Good one.:lol:

Yes, that's correct. Not everyone can be a Sweden.:lol: Anyway what is the secret for the Swiss prosperity? In Denmark it is the well-fare state, lack of corruption, homogeneity and innovative spirit. Just look at all the Danish international brands compared to the population. It's rather amazing.

The reason why I chose to study in Denmark is because that country is leading when it comes to
translational research which can be one of the many fields that chemical engineers can work in.:)

Ohh and talking about armed Switzerland, heres the reason why Hitler didnt dare to invade Switzerland even thought he believed that all German speaking countrys should be united. :D

View attachment 158299

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That's probably due to hunting right and because many people lived on the countryside? All the mountains (Alps) also help Switzerland in this regard. When we drove past Switzerland (I have visited this country quite a few times) I am always surprised by all those secluded farms etc. Very charming. Oh, Switzerland is famous for being neutral in almost all conflicts and being against the EU. A bit like "our" neighbors in Norway who are also filthy rich. (Oil and gas helps here).:D
 
Thanks for the reply mate. Appreciated. Yes, that's French. I mean Fondue. Where does the Chinese part come from? Or is that the "Hot pot" that you have linked to.

Well, excuse me for bothering you with more questions but that's something I find difficult to understand because Switzerland is a rather new country and so is their identity. I mean the Swiss in the South that speak Italian are basically Italians that settled there. Same with the French and Germans (obviously related to Bavarians, Austrians and Swabians). So maybe they need this big doses of nationalism (was not aware of that) because they want to distinguish themselves from their bigger neighbors?

LOL. Good one.:lol:

Yes, that's correct. Not everyone can be a Sweden.:lol: Anyway what is the secret for the Swiss prosperity? In Denmark it is the well-fare state, lack of corruption, homogeneity and innovative spirit. Just look at all the Danish international brands compared to the population. It's rather amazing.

The reason why I chose to study in Denmark is because that country is leading when it comes to
translational research which can be one of the many fields that chemical engineers can work in.:)



That's probably due to hunting right and because many people lived on the countryside? All the mountains (Alps) also help Switzerland in this regard. When we drove past Switzerland (I have visited this country quite a few times) I am always surprised by all those secluded farms etc. Very charming. Oh, Switzerland is famous for being neutral in almost all conflicts and being against the EU. A bit like "our" neighbors in Norway who are also filthy rich. (Oil and gas helps here).:D
Yes its the Hot Pot originated in Mongolia.

Switzerland as a bunch of united states has a history of half a millenium, its older or better said more continuous than most states on earth with a couple addition of states throught history.
Its diputed when exactly Switzerland was founded, the date revolves around 1300s but it got its modern form in 1848.

Ofcourse Switzer are a bunch of European ethnicities but their Swiss nationalism is strong, they consider themselves as Swiss and hate it to be called Italian, French or German.
Sometimes people call them ''Mountain Germans'' to tease them and they get pissed off. :rofl:

The secret of Swiss properity is discipline, honesty and hardworking i have to give them that, they have a big Pharma industry, world class products such as watches, and obviously Banking sector, Nestle, Rolex, Novartis and Roche are just a couple of Swiss global companys.
 

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