Street food has become a big necessity in today’s fast-paced world. With everyone caught up in the daily hustle, it’s nothing short of a blessing to have street vendors offering quick, wholesome meals. Among the top street food options is Mediterranean street food. It is the go-to choice for many people because it is incredibly delicious but also nutritious and affordable.
However, there’s more to Mediterranean food than just shawarma and falafel. If you’ve limited yourself to these few dishes, you’re missing out on a world of incredible flavors from the Middle East. Read on to discover the five must-try Mediterranean street foods that will give your life a new meaning!
Five must-try Mediterranean street food
After gaining extreme popularity, these Mediterranean dishes have made their way from high-end restaurants to street food carts and trucks to make them more accessible to the people. If some of these foods have been out of budget for you in the past, the Mediterranean street food vendors on the corner of your street might have your back. Below are the five Mediterranean dishes you might find in your local Mediterranean food cart. This is your cue to finally give them a try!
Kabobs
Imagine the finest meat, either lamb, chicken, or beef, marinated with the richest Middle Eastern seasonings and cooked to perfection until juicy and tender. Kabobs are a melt-in-your-mouth delight that makes life worth living. Every bite of kabob is a juicy and tender burst of flavor that you cannot replace with any other dish.
Grilled over open flames, kabobs have a unique charred taste and are a great accompaniment to any dish. For example, kabobs go well with rice, wrapped in pita, with fresh vegetables and sauces, or as is. There are many types of kabobs; we suggest you try them all because every kabob has a unique taste.
Fatayer
Fatayer is a popular Middle Eastern street food. Fatayers are small savory pies loved as a snack, an appetizer, or part of a larger meal.
These crisp golden brown pies have various fillings. Biting into this reveals a combination of textures and flavors. The bread is crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside, and has fillings seasoned with Mediterranean flavors. The most common fatayer fillings include:
- Spinach, also called Sabanekh fatayer,
- Cheese, also called Jibneh fatayer,
- Meat, also called Lahm fatayer or Lahm bi Ajeen.
Fatayers are loved for their versatility and endless filling options. While the fatayers mentioned above are the more common ones, vendors often get creative with the fatayers and bring out new fillings. Spinach and cheese fatayer are a great vegetarian option as well. Give all of the flavors a try to find out which one is your favorite!
Zaatar bread
Zaatar bread, manakish, or manakeesh, is another Middle Eastern dish that makes you drool. Zaatar is a Mediterranean blend of spices that is a common ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes. This spice mix packs a punch of flavor and has a mix of dried herbs, sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. Zaatar bread is a flatbread with zaatar and olive oil as a topping.
Zaatar bread is soft inside with a slightly crispy crust. Though zaatar bread is a treat in itself, there have been some creative tweaks over time that offer a broader range of flavors. There’s the classic zaatar bread, a cheese, and zaatar bread for a more indulgent bite or even as the base for wraps. These variations make it a great street food option.
Shawarma
How can we list Mediterranean street foods without including the Mediterranean rockstar? Shawarma is probably the first dish that comes to mind when discussing Middle Eastern food.
And rightfully so! This irresistible dish is loved globally for its bold flavors and textures, making it a common street food. Biting into a cloud of soft flatbread filled with crunchy vegetables, creamy sauces, and roasted slow-cooked tender meat makes shawarma the ultimate comfort food.
Falafel
Falafel is the one Mediterranean dish that almost every Mediterranean food truck or street cart has. These deep-fried balls or patties have a unique taste that no other dish can replace. Falafels are crunchy snacks that come together when chickpeas (or sometimes fava beans) mix with a blend of spices and herbs. Deep frying them gives them a golden crisp texture while the inside stays soft and flavorful.
Falafel is typically served with fresh vegetables and sauces in pita or flatbread. This is a falafel wrap, which is yet another crowd-favorite Mediterranean street food that is also vegan-friendly. However, you can enjoy falafels in various forms, whether as a snack, an appetizer, in a wrap, in salads, or however you like. The world is your oyster when it comes to enjoying falafels.
Conclusion
Those mentioned above are the five best Mediterranean street foods that are a must-try for everyone. There are also food options for vegans, making Mediterranean cuisine all the more inclusive – hence, it is loved for its diversity. Don’t walk; run to your nearest Mediterranean street food vendor to experience the best of Mediterranean food. Or, you could satisfy your cravings even quicker by ordering from Al Baraka Market & Grill and getting your favorite Mediterranean street food in Raleigh to your doorstep within minutes.