MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE IS THE FOODS AND METHODS OF PREPARATION BY PEOPLE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION.
The region includes a wide variety of cultures with distinct cuisines, in particular the Maghrebi (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia), Egyptian, Levantine, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, and Spanish.
The historical connections of the region, as well as the impact of the Mediterranean Sea on the region’s climate and economy, mean that these cuisines share dishes beyond the core trio of oil, bread, and wine.
The cooking of the area is not to be confused with the Mediterranean Diet, being popular because of the apparent health benefits of a diet rich in olive oil, wheat and other grains, fruits, vegetables, and a certain amount of seafood, but low in meat and dairy products. Mediterranean cuisine encompasses the ways that these and other ingredients, including meat, are dealt with in the kitchen, whether they are health-giving or not.
CHARACTERISTICS
CLIMATE
BIODIVERSITY
CULTURAL
ELEMENTS OF AUTHENTICITY
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET INCORPORATES THE TRADITIONAL HEALTHY LIVING HABITS OF PEOPLE FROM COUNTRIES BORDERING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
The Mediterranean diet, known primarily as a food model, enhances the quality and safety of foods and their link to the land of origin. It offers a simple cuisine, but rich in imagination and tastes, taking full advantage of all aspects of a healthy diet. It is an ethical choice that preserves the traditions and customs of the peoples of the Mediterranean Basin.
MAKE YOUR DIET MORE MEDITERRANEAN
- The concept of a Mediterranean diet was developed in the early 1960s
to reflect “food patterns typical of Crete, much of the rest of Greece, and Italy. - Olive oil was the first mediterranean product
some of the purest in the world, mechanically pressed at low temperatures by small Cretan suppliers. - The foundation of the mediterranean diet
consists of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains; including moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, eggs and fish. - Scientific discoveries of its health benefits
many studies on longevity have found that elderly individuals who follow the Mediterranean diet live longer.
MEDITERRANEAN
