Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it’s literally all the fuel you need to get your day started and keep your energy levels up. Many studies have confirmed the importance of the breakfast meal as it helps you maintain your health. In addition to a better memory and concentration levels, it also helps by lowering your bad cholesterol, as well as your chances of getting diabetes, heart diseases, or being overweight.
Forget about pancakes and waffles, our menu for breakfast in the Middle East differs from country to another but all unique in its own way, so tasty and flavorful. About 90% of our dishes are filling enough to keep us going till the afternoon. One must admit, I wouldn’t choose any other breakfast type because we have the most delicious, various, nutritious meals ever!
Here’s a list of a few tasty Arabic breakfast meals you must try at least once:
Kunafa
Although it’s considered a desert, in Lebanon people consider it a morning meal. It’s prepared with melted cheese, a pastry that is soaked with sweet sugar syrup. It’s usually served as a round-shaped thick bread topped with sesame seeds.
Man’ooche
If you’re not a sweet tooth but rather more of a salty person, then man’ooche is the perfect option for you. It’s made out of flatbread with so many optional toppings. You can add zaatar (thyme) or zaatar and labneh, eggs, ham, cheese with ham, or only vegetables. Depends on your taste; some like it plain, others like it extra.
Fool & Ta’mya
It’s the Egyptian traditional breakfast; it’s only the best in the world! Fool (fava beans) is a kind of Middle Eastern bean burrito, and ta’mya is the Egyptian version of falafel, but made with broad beans instead of chickpeas.
Shakshuka
This dish is originally Tunisian but its widely known in Egypt too. It consists of poached eggs with onions, tomatoes, and chili sauce as well as cumin.
Falafel & Labneh
It’s a widely known Middle Eastern dish. It’s basically spiced, mashed, and deeply fried chickpeas, usually presented with labneh or vegetables. You can also enjoy it at lunchtime wrapped in pita bread.
Bagila bil-Dihin
It’s a traditional Iraqi breakfast dish; it consists of layers of soaked bread, topped with oil fried eggs, onions, and finally boiled beans. Keep in mind the proper way to eat this dish is to dig in with your hands! Personally, it’s my favorite meal of all times, you can always have it at lunchtime too.
Makhlama
Another mind-blowing Iraqi breakfast that’s less heavy than the previous one. It’s basically fried eggs, tomatoes, onions, meat, and spices. All of these ingredients get blended together in one pan; later, you’ll eat it using a hot piece of bread.
Khabeesa
It’s a very unique Omani breakfast dish that is made of semolina (cream of wheat) and cooked into oatmeal-like consistency. Finally flavored with saffron, rosewater, as well as cardamom.
M’shewsha
A very popular breakfast dish in Algeria. It consists of eggs mainly, flour, and semolina, and finally topped with warm honey all over it. Yummy!
