TABBOULEH – NATIONAL DISH OF LEBANON

PLACE OF ORIGIN: Lebanon

REGION: Beqaa Valley

DISH TYPE: Salad

MAIN INGREDIENT: Parsley

COOKING STYLE: Uncooked

COURSE: Side dish, sometimes a main course

DESCRIPTION: Tabbouleh originated in the Levant, the historic Middle Eastern region which now includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and most of Turkey. A type of wheat called salamouni, grown in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, was particularly suited to make bulgur, one of the main ingredients in the dish. Tabbouleh is a light salad that is now one of the most popular dishes from the region.

Flavour Profile

The flavour profile of a cuisine is based upon the local ingredients, equipment, and the style and methods for cooking. When defining a flavour profile, keep the 5 basic tastes and 3 elements in mind.

3 ELEMENTS

Temperature relates to the level of thermal heat contained in the dish when served.
Texture or mouth feel is how the dish feels in your mouth, for example, crunchy, silky, or creamy.
Spiciness is the amount of capsaicin, piperine, or other spicy component that is found in the dish.

5 BASIC TASTES

Umami relates to the amount of glutamate in food which tastes earthy or meaty. Examples include fish sauce, mushrooms, or meat.
Saltiness is the level of salt detectable in the food. Examples include salt, soy sauce and miso paste.
Sourness is related to how much acidity is detectable in the food. Examples include lemon and vinegar.
Sweetness is the amount of detectable sugar in the food. Examples include honey, sugar, and maple syrup.
Bitterness is more of a sensation than a flavour. Examples include mustard, coffee, and orange peel.

INGREDIENT ORIGINS

Wheat – Wheat originated in the Levant (modern day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and most of Turkey). The earliest archaeological evidence is found at the Ohalo II site, where grain was dated at 23,000 years ago. The earliest evidence of domesticated grain was found in the Karacadag mountain range in Turkey, and is dated to 12,000 years ago. Cultivated wheat arrived in Greece, Cyprus, and India by 8500 years ago, then moved to Egypt around 8000 years ago, then to Germany and Spain by 7000 years ago reaching England Scandinavia by 4000 years ago.

Mint – Native to Eurasia, North America, Southern Africa, and Australia, mints are found all over the world and has naturalized in many places.

Lemon – The origin of the lemon is unknown, however it may have come from northwestern India, where there is archaeological evidence that it was cultivated over 2,500 years ago. Through Arabic trade, it was introduced to the Middle East and Africa about 1,900 years ago, and into Italy about 1,800 years ago. By 850 years ago it was widely used in the Mediterranean, and a few hundred years later it can be found throughout Europe.

Olive oil – Native to modern day Turkey, it is different from other oils as it comes from the fruit and not the seed of the plant. It spread from Iran and Syria west to the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago. There is evidence of olives growing on Crete by 5,000 yeas ago and may have been highly significant for the Minoan kingdom (5,000 to 3,000 years ago). The Phoenicians (4,500 years ago to 2,500 years ago) spread the olive to Africa and Southern Europe.

Tomato – Originated in South America (along with potato, tobacco, and chili peppers). It advanced north, possibly due to changing climate conditions, and evidence of its use is found extensively throughout Mesoamerica (9000 to 400 years ago). Mesoamerica was a culturally defined region comprised of what is now known as central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. The Aztecs (700 to 500 years ago) who lived in central Mexico domesticated the plant. It was later transported back to Europe by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who discovered the plant after sacking Tenochtitlan.

Parsley – Native to the central Mediterranean which is composed of Cyprus, southern Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Parsley can be found in European, Middle Eastern, and American cuisine and comes in three forms: curly leaf, flat leaf, and root.

Spring onion – The origin of the spring onion is unknown, however it is believed to have come from the region that is now called the Russian Far East, Eastern and Southeastern Asia. It was used by the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and the Chinese where there is evidence of the vegetable being used over 4,000 years ago.

Black pepper – Native to present-day Kerala in South India. It is derived from the green, unripened drupes of the pepper plant. As the drupes dry out, the outside skin begins to darken, and eventually creates a black layer which give pepper its unique look.

regional variations

Turkey

The Turkish version of Tabbouleh includes a variety of common ingredients found in other versions of the salad, but it adds harissa paste to create a unique flavour profile. Turkish Tabbouleh is made with bulgur, lemon juice, tomato paste, harissa, green onions, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, red pepper, mint, parsley, olive oil, and salt. It originated in Tunisia and is now used in many North Africa countries. While there are many versions, harissa paste generally contains roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, and olive oil.

Armenia

In Armenia there is a salad called Eetch which is similar to Tabbouleh. It is different from Lebanese Tabbouleh due to the addition of puréed tomatoes, and that it can be eaten warm or cold. In addition to the tomatoes, other ingredients commonly include onion, parsley, olive oil, lemon, paprika, and bell peppers.