Baba ghanoush
CourseAppetizer
Place of originLebanon[1]
Associated national cuisineIraq, Armenia,[2] Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Libya, and Turkey
Main ingredientsEggplant, olive oil
Mutabbal
Moutabbal (or M'tabbal) and pita bread
CourseAppetizer
Place of originLevant
Main ingredientsEggplant, olive oil

Baba ghanoush (UK: /ˌbɑːbə ɡæˈnuːʃ/, US: /- ɡəˈnuːʃ, - ɡəˈnuːʒ/;[3][4][5] Arabic: بابا غنوج, romanized: bābā ġannūj), also spelled baba ganoush or baba ghanouj,[3][4][5][1] is a Levantine appetizer consisting of mashed cooked eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and sometimes tahini.[5][1][6] It may be served with onions, tomatoes, or other vegetables. The eggplant is traditionally baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.[7] It is a typical meze ('starter') of the regional cuisine, often served as a side to a main meal and as a dip for pita bread.[1]

Traditionally, mutabbal (Arabic: متبل lit. 'spiced') is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush. It consists of mashed cooked aubergines and tahini mixed with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and added anar seeds.[8]

Etymology

The bābā is an Arabic word that means 'father' and is also a term of endearment, while ġannūj could be a personal name.[4] The word combination is also interpreted as "father of coquetry" or "indulged/pampered/flirtatious daddy" or "spoiled old daddy".[3][1][9] It is not certain whether the word bābā refers to the eggplant, or to an actual person indulged by the dish.[1]

Varieties

Eastern Arabian cuisine versions of the dish vary slightly from those of the Levant by spicing it with coriander and cumin;[9] those versions might be minimally spiced and topped with thinly chopped parsley or coriander leaves.[10]

In Ethiopia, this dish is commonly known as blagadoush.[citation needed]

In Armenia the dish is known as mutabal. The essential ingredients in Armenian mutabal are eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and onion; and most Armenians also add cumin.

A non-vegan Israeli variant, salat ḥatzilim, is made with fried or grilled eggplants mixed with mayonnaise, salt, lemon and chopped fried onions.[11][12] It is usually topped with olive oil when served.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Gil Marks (2010). "Baba Ghanouj". Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544186316.
  2. ^ "Baba Ghanoush". 4 November 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "baba ghanouj". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "baba ghanouj" (US) and "baba ganoush". Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. n.d. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "baba ghanoush". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  6. ^ Baba ganoush. Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2006. A Middle Eastern (originally Lebanese) dish of puréed roasted aubergine, garlic, and tahini.
  7. ^ Khayat, Marie Karam; Keatinge, Margaret Clark. Food from the Arab World, Khayats, Beirut, Lebanon.
  8. ^ "Healthy Simple Smoky Eggplant Dip (Moutabal)". Alphafoodie. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  9. ^ a b Salloum, Habeeb (28 February 2012). The Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462905249.
  10. ^ "Baba Ganoush: Quintessentially Levantine". Your Middle East. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  11. ^ Levy, F. Feast from the Mideast (2003) p.41
  12. ^ Nathan, J. (2011). Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-0-307-77785-0. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

Bibliography

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