Finding the reasons for the growing popularity of Mediterranean cuisines

Whenever we talk about restaurants and food in New Jersey, it is difficult to leave out Mediterranean and Lebanese food that has become synonymous with New Brunswick Restaurants. The newfound love for the special type of food is the latest trend among food lovers who like to experiment with new cuisines from various parts of the world.  As the trend keeps growing, it is important to clear some confusion about food from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region because often people consider both as the same, which it is not.  Middle Eastern food is entirely different from Mediterranean food and barring a few similarities; the tastes and textures of food are quite different. The culinary traditions of the Middle East which covers three continents are drastically different from the Mediterranean cuisine of North Africa and Europe. (1)

Clearing the confusion

Just as it would be a mistake to club all Latin food like Mexican or all Asian recipes as Chinese, it would be grossly wrong to put all cuisines from the Middle East and the Mediterranean region under one umbrella. However, there is a reason for the confusion because historically, some foods like roasted skewered meats, flatbreads, and filled dough items are common to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. But these are only exceptions, and one must have clarity about the specialty of the cuisines that bear the distinct culinary traits of the area to which it belongs. However, there must not be any doubts about the authenticity of Lebanese food which is indeed from the Mediterranean land. 

What then is Mediterranean cuisine?

It is hard to describe Mediterranean cuisine in just a few words because there is no uniform description available of the mouth-watering dishes that have won the hearts of people across the world. There are many interpretations of food. For some people, food belonging to the countries that share the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea that spread across Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia is all Mediterranean food.  Many others believe that foods that have ingredients belonging to the Mediterranean diet like vegetables and olive oil fit the bill for Mediterranean foods. Again, another group of people prefers to describe Mediterranean cuisine as a lifestyle.

Flavored but healthy food

Nowadays, people are very conscious about healthy foods and prefer to find it on the menu of popular restaurants too. Perhaps this one of the reasons for the popularity of Mediterranean food that sets an example in healthy eating. The food has busted the myth about healthy food being tasteless and without flavors because Mediterranean food despite having bold flavors assures good health. People who used to equate healthy food with blandly cooked food are now set to accept the new order that includes flavored and tasty food that is healthy too.

The days are changing and Italian food which used to be the only recognized Mediterranean food in the US even a few years ago has now included Lebanese, Greek, and Turkish food in the list. (2)