Baba ghanoush ( , , ;"baba ghanouj"
(US) and ), also spelled baba ganoush or baba ghanouj, is a Levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and

tahini Tahini () (, or in Iraq: (rashi-راشي)) is a Middle Eastern condiment (a seed butter) made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, ...

. The eggplant is traditionally roasted, baked or

broiled Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and v ...

over an open flame before peeling so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste. It is a typical ''

meze ''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas and Italian cuisine, Italian Antipasto, antipasti. A ''me ...

'' (starter) of the regional cuisine, often served as a side to a main meal and as a dip for

pita Pita ( or ; ) or pitta (British English), also known as Arabic bread (, ), as Lebanese bread and as kmaj (from the Persian ''kumaj''), is a family of yeast- leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Levant ...

bread. A very similar dish is mutabbal (), which is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush.

Etymology

The word in

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

is a

term of endearment A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection. Terms of endearment are used for a variety of reasons, such as parents addressing their ch ...

for 'father', while could be a personal name. The word combination is also interpreted as 'father of coquetry' or 'indulged/pampered/flirtatious daddy' or 'spoiled old daddy'. However, it is not certain whether the word refers to an actual person indulged by the dish or to the eggplant ( or in Arabic).

Varieties

Dishes consisting of mashed eggplant are common in cuisines from

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Eastern Arabian cuisine Eastern Arabian cuisine, also called Khaleeji cuisine (), is the traditional Arabic cuisine variant that is shared by the population in Eastern Arabia and areas around the Persian Gulf. Seafood is a significant part of the diet of the inhabitant ...

versions of the dish vary slightly from those of the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

by spicing it with

coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...

and

cumin Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...

; those versions might be minimally spiced and topped with thinly chopped

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...

or coriander leaves. In

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, the dish is often mixed with sheep cheese, making it creamier. In

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, the dish is known as or . While the ingredients vary from region to region, the essentials (eggplants, tahini, garlic, lemon) are generally the same. In

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

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

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, a similar dish is known as ''Μελιτζανοσαλάτα'' (

Melitzanosalata Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers. Varieties Middle East, Caucasus, Africa ''Baba ghanoush'' ( ''bābā ghanūj'') is a popular Levantine cuisine, Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seasoning ...

; literally translating to Eggplant Salad). However, the dish does not contain tahini, instead just containing the eggplant itself (hence the name), some olive oil and lemon juice, and spices like garlic and onion, with occasional spices like garlic and pepper flakes. The dish is extremely popular during the great 40-day

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

en fast as it provides a non-animal-based alternative to dips like Tzatziki during the fast. This is due to Greece being a very religious Orthodox Christian country. In

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, a similar dish is known as ('eggplant salad'). Like the Greek dish of Melitzanosalata, it lacks tahini and is made from finely chopped roasted eggplant, finely chopped onions,

sunflower oil Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower (''Helianthus annuus''). Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil is primarily compos ...

(explicitly not olive oil because it would make the dish bitter), salt and, optionally,

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...

. The dish became part of

Israeli cuisine Israeli cuisine primarily comprises dishes brought from the Jewish diaspora, and has more recently been defined by the development of a notable fusion cuisine characterized by the mixing of Jewish cuisine and Arab cuisine.Gold, Rozann''A Region's ...

during the 1949-1959 period of

austerity in Israel In economic policy, austerity is a set of political-economic policies that aim to reduce government budget deficits through spending cuts, tax increases, or a combination of both. There are three primary types of austerity measures: hig ...

when it was adopted from the cuisines of neighboring Arab countries. It was used as a meat substitute and remained popular after the economic crisis ended. It was commonly used for snacks or to serve to unexpected guests, eventually becoming a "cultural icon," according to food writer and historian

Gil Marks Gilbert Stanley Marks (; May 30, 1952 – December 5, 2014) was an American food writer and historian noted for his reference and cookbooks on the subject of Jewish food. He was the founding editor of ''Kosher Gourmet'' magazine. He moved to Isra ...

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baba Ghanoush Appetizers Arab cuisine Assyrian cuisine Dips (food) Eggplant dishes Egyptian cuisine Iraqi cuisine Israeli cuisine Jordanian cuisine Lebanese cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine Palestinian cuisine Qatari cuisine Syrian cuisine Vegan cuisine Jewish cuisine Russian cuisine Balkan cuisine Central Asian cuisine

Etymology

Varieties

See also

References

Bibliography