Course | Appetizer |
---|---|
Place of origin | Levant[1] |
Associated cuisine | Iraq, Armenia,[2] Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and Turkey |
Main ingredients | Eggplant, olive oil |
Moutabbal (or M'tabbal) and pita bread | |
Course | Appetizer |
---|---|
Place of origin | Levant |
Main ingredients | Eggplant, 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][6] is a Levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and tahini.[5][6][7] The eggplant is traditionally baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.[8] 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.[6]
A very similar dish is mutabbal (Arabic: متبل lit. 'spiced'). Mutabbal is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush. Mutabbal consists of mashed roasted eggplants, tahini, salt, garlic, lemon and often yogurt.[9][self-published source?]
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][6][10] It is not certain whether the word bābā refers to the eggplant, or to an actual person indulged by the dish.[6]
Eastern Arabian cuisine versions of the dish vary slightly from those of the Levant by spicing it with coriander and cumin;[10] those versions might be minimally spiced and topped with thinly chopped parsley or coriander leaves.[11]
In Turkey, the dish is known as babaganuş or abugannuş. While the ingredients vary from region to region, the essentials (eggplants, tahini, garlic, lemon) are generally the same.[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.[citation needed]
In Romania, a similar dish is known as salată de vinete. It lacks tahini and is made from finely chopped roasted eggplant, finely chopped onions, sunflower oil (explicitly not olive oil [12][13] because it makes the appetizer bitter), salt and, optionally, mayonnaise.[14]
In Syria, the dish is often mixed with sheep cheese, which turns it into a creamier dish.[15]
Food writer and historian Gil Marks writes in his book that: "Israelis learned to make baba ghanouj from the Arabs".[6] An Israeli variant, salat ḥatzilim, is made with fried or grilled eggplants mixed with mayonnaise, salt, lemon and chopped fried onions.[16][17] It is usually topped with olive oil when served.