Taste of place
A taste of place
Behind every dish is a city’s history and manners: why sushi was Edo’s fast food, which old shop first served Peking duck, whether the Margherita pizza story is fact or legend. 47 signature dishes, each with its origin, how to eat it and local etiquette, plus “what to eat nearby” for 249 sights and festivals, with must-tries, where to eat, dining etiquette and typical prices.
Middle East & North Africa
Middle East & North Africa travel guide →
Arabic coffee
Pale coffee with cardamom, served with dates — the Gulf's gesture of hospitality.
.jpg?width=800)
Jordanian mansaf
Lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yoghurt — Jordan's national dish and way of welcoming guests.
Moroccan tagine
A North African stew slow-cooked in a pointed clay pot — the dish is named after the pot.
Koshari
Rice, macaroni, lentils and chickpeas topped with tomato sauce and fried onions — Egypt's national dish.
Turkish coffee
Unfiltered coffee — and when you finish, the grounds in the cup can 'tell your fortune'.
What to eat near the sights20 places
- JerashMust-try: Mansaf, Maqluba, Grilled meat and Arabic flatbread
- Wadi RumMust-try: Zarb, Mansaf, Bedouin grilled meat with pita
- PetraMust-try: Mansaf, Maqluba, Kebabs with pita
- Aït BenhaddouMust-try: Berber tagine, Couscous, Lentil / chickpea soup
- Hassan II MosqueMust-try: Seafood tagine / grilled fish, Moroccan seafood soup, Tagine
- ChefchaouenMust-try: Tagine, Moroccan salad, Bissara (bean soup)
- Fez medina and Chouara TanneryMust-try: Tagine, Couscous, Pastilla (pigeon pie)
- Marrakesh medina and Jemaa el-FnaaMust-try: Tagine, Tanjia, Brochettes (kebabs)
- Louvre Abu DhabiMust-try: French-Arabic fusion, Lebanese cold mezze, Grilled meat / seafood
- Sheikh Zayed Grand MosqueMust-try: Mixed grill, Biryani, Hummus / Middle Eastern mezze
- Old Dubai: Al Fahidi Historical NeighbourhoodMust-try: Arabic mixed grill, Camel burger / stewed camel, Hummus
- Aswan and the Temple of PhilaeMust-try: Nubian stew, Grilled Nile fish, Koshari
- Old Cairo: Khan el-Khalili bazaarMust-try: Koshari, Ful and ta'ameya, Mixed grill
- Abu SimbelMust-try: Koshari, Grilled meat, Tagine
- Luxor: Karnak and the Valley of the KingsMust-try: Stuffed pigeon, Tagine stew, Koshari
- The Giza pyramids and the SphinxMust-try: Koshari, Stuffed pigeon, Egyptian kebab
- EphesusMust-try: Köfte (meatballs), Patlıcan kebabı (aubergine kebab), Pide (Turkish pizza)
- Pamukkale and HierapolisMust-try: Testi kebab (pottery kebab), Turkish dumplings (mantı), Mixed grill
- CappadociaMust-try: Testi kebab (pottery kebab), Turkish dumplings, Gözleme (stuffed flatbread)
- Old Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand BazaarMust-try: Döner kebab, Adana kebab, Baklava