13 Middle Eastern Street Foods You'll Want To Try At Least Once

It is astonishing how much you can tell about a country's culinary legacy from the food that is peddled in its street stalls. Blissfully divorced from the frills and fancies of high-end dining, street food paints an authentic picture of the long-standing traditions valued by its people.

Such is the case of the Middle Eastern street food scene, brimming with diverse flavors and regional delicacies that find fans across borders. Comprising a wealth of culinary traditions, hailing from the North African perch of Egypt to transcontinental Turkey, the region's street food lovingly tips its hat to the varied voices of its ancestors.

A casual stroll through the streetside markets and you won't just find kebabs and flatbreads. What you will find is the enduring legacy of the shish kebab that has been delighting gourmands over the course of millennia. You'll discover how knafeh cemented its place of pride as a streetside dessert. You'll find yourself hypnotized by the rhythmic motions of the vertical rotisserie as it delivers slow-roasted shawarma meat. And above all, you'll find yourself traveling through the pages of history as you revisit bygone eras through lovingly cherished family recipes. If you haven't yet, you'll want to add these Middle Eastern street foods to your foodie bucket list.

What goes into the making of a street food icon? Is it just having hordes of hungry patrons queuing up around the block? Or does it lie in having the kind of boundary-obliterating fame that has multiple nations competing in a hotly contested rivalry? The latter is true in the case of the falafel – humble spiced patties commonly stuffed in pita pockets — that have several countries lining up for credit, from Yemen to Lebanon.

The scarce trail of historical details, however, points to Egypt, where British officers reportedly asked Egyptian chefs to create a version of the vegetable croquettes they had grown fond of in India. The result was deep-fried fritters made from fava beans, although modern iterations now include chickpeas and beef. Once fried, these spicy balls are traditionally served along with enticing Middle Eastern dips, such as hummus and tahini. When stuffed into pita pockets, falafel enjoys immense popularity as a grab-and-go snack.

The American version of falafel inundating streets today maintains close fidelity to the original recipe with the same beans and spice blend. But if you are looking to truly pay your respects to this street food legend, all roads can only lead to Falafel Sahyoun, the first-ever falafel shop to open doors in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1933. The iconic institution has drawn hordes of culinary enthusiasts from around the world over the years, including the late Anthony Bourdain who was left raving after his first mouthful.

Not every dip can ascend to street food stardom. But hummus is not just any other dip. Translating into the word "chickpea" in Arabic, there are zero points for guessing the star ingredient of this pureed dip. There will, however, be points handed out for pinpointing the exact country where this widely loved spread hails from. With myriad regional influences laying their claim on this centuries-old staple, finding the origin of hummus is a tangled knot to pick apart.

If you were to flip through the dusty pages of medieval cookbooks, you might chance upon the earliest mention of hummus by an Aleppo historian called Ibn Al Adeem. Iconic Syrian food joints, such as Hummsani, today hold credit for keeping the original recipe alive by forgoing blenders in favor of pounding the chickpeas by hand — as was the practice of their forefathers. The result is a creamy, sepia-hued puree that retains the flavor of all the ingredients. Swirled and served in a red clay bowl, it is best enjoyed with pita bread or fresh veggies.

If you are looking to recreate the magic in your kitchen, it helps to stay armed with the biggest mistakes to avoid with homemade hummus. Or perhaps you are cruising for a culinary challenge? Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson dares you to swap the tahini for peanut butter to create a sweeter version of this iconic dip.

In the world of street foods, you have only truly arrived once you have inspired a multi-national tug-of-war for credit. Such is the story of arayes, grilled pita pockets stuffed with ground meat, that can be deemed as a Syrian specialty or a Lebanese staple, depending on whom you lend an ear to.

The word "arayes" is the plural form of "arus" that translates into "bride" in the Arabic language. The name was derived as an ode to the fact that tribes used to serve it to newlyweds. Since then, every corner in the Middle East has gotten in on the action. In 2019, the humble M25 restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel, supposedly used to sell as many as 800 arayes every week. 

At first glance, you might write-off arayes as the Middle Eastern quesadilla. But if you look closely, and you'll find that there's a lot of nuance packed between the slices of pita bread. There is the meat – lamb and ground beef are popular candidates — stuffed as a raw, spiced mixture inside the bread that is then grilled to perfection. Aromatics, herbs, and pomegranate molasses do a delicate dance across the taste buds for a burst of swoon-worthy flavors. Be warned, one bite, and you may never be able to go back to plain ol' burgers again.

A mainstay at streetside stalls across the Levantine region, fatayer is the savory pastry that will make you forget all about hand pies. Structurally similar to empanadas, fatayer is traditionally made from spinach and cheese stuffed into flaky pastry dough. Ground beef is also favored by those looking for a hearty start of the day.

Depending on the filling, the fatayer that arrives on your plate can morph between shapes. Traditional spinach and sumac fatayer is a closed pastry shaped in the form of a triangle. Boat-shaped iterations are common with cheesy fatayers that are baked as an open pie.

With countries from Lebanon to Syria laying claim to this staple, there are endless places to sample fatayer in the most authentic form. Whether you are strolling through the streets of Abu Dhabi or Beirut, don't be surprised if you find your senses held captive by the smell of freshly baked fatayer being hauled out of brick ovens. Fatayer is a common mainstay on Arabic mezze platters, but these savory pockets can also be enjoyed as a light snack — especially when dipped into hummus or baba ganoush and chased down with a bracing sip of mint tea.

We love freshly baked sourdough or fluffy focaccia, but if you are hoping for a truly memorable start to your day, you'll be begging your neighborhood restaurants to add manakeesh to the breakfast menu. Whether sampled at the start of the day or as a mid-day snack, manakeesh has long been known for its communal aspect, bringing families together around the table to tear apart slices of freshly baked flatbread. In fact, the communal nature of manakeesh stretches all the way back to its origins in the ancient city of Phoenicia — corresponding to modern-day Lebanon — where it was baked in the morning in communal ovens.

Going by appearances, manakeesh can be lumped together with Italian pizza because they sometimes use similar ingredients, such as olives and tomatoes. However, the key differentiator is the use of za'atar, a  Middle Eastern spice blend that combines herbs, sumac, and sesame seeds. Za'atar infuses freshly baked bread with a vegetal, zesty flavor profile. With every mouthful, you can expect to bite into a za'atar-spiked cheesy crust spread over a pillowy flatbread. Common toppings also include minced lamb and yogurt-based Middle Eastern spreads, such as labneh. If you can't find it in stores, remember that homemade labneh only requires two ingredients, yogurt and salt, so you can easily whip it at home.

Lebanese street food is a sacred shrine for every meat lover. Some of the best ways to experience these potent flavors are to try slow-roasted shawarma slices or the finely minced meat that typically appears in the form of spherical kibbeh balls.

The latter is a much-loved mainstay on the menu of any reputable Lebanese streetside stall. It would be easy to consider kibbeh as the Middle Eastern equivalent of meatballs — after all, the word "kibbeh" stems from an Arabic verb that translates into "forming a ball".  However, the most familiar kibbeh is prepared by stuffing minced meat filling into a football-shaped tarp made from meat and bulgur wheat. Essentially, you have to bite through the crunch of the outer shell to discover the lip-smacking meat filling. While you are waiting for your kibbeh to emerge from the oven, you might find yourself tempted to sneak spoonfuls of the fattoush salad that is conventionally served as part of the larger mezze. 

There are many varieties of kibbeh across the Middle East that differ in shape and ingredients. One of the most interesting versions is a Syrian kibbe gheraz that involves a savory cherry-based sauce.

If you ever find the opportunity to travel back to the 18th century, you would definitely want to be present to witness the birth of shwarma, one of the most legendary street food icons in the Levant region. A far cry from the mechanized vertical rotisseries that are available today, it was made with a mound of marinated lamb or mutton slowly roasted on vertical skewers.

The name hails from the Turkish word for turning ("shavarmak"), which lends insight into the preparation. Indeed, the idea of the vertical spit is said to have been inspired by the rotisseries used for preparing Turkish doner kebab. In the centuries that followed, the popularity of shawarma inspired the introduction of mechanized rotisseries to keep up with the demand for this streetside staple – it isn't uncommon to find restaurants in Saudi Arabia whipping out thousands of orders per day.

The basics of making a shawarma are always the same. Slim slices of marinated meat are stacked on a vertical rotisserie, and the whole piece is shaved as it rotates. Along with fresh toppings and sauces, the pieces are then wrapped in pita bread. The result? The showstopping taste of the slow-roasted meat that shines through with tangy spices to create a complex flavor profile that you are unlikely to forget anytime soon.

When the ancient Egyptians set out to ensure that ful medames' legacy would be cemented in history, they meant it in the most literal sense of the term, as the fragments of the dish has been found in ancient tombs. In the centuries since, this humble dish made of mashed fava beans has developed an ubiquitous presence in street stalls across the country. Don't be surprised if a leisurely stroll through the streets of Cairo has you stopping in your tracks to investigate the mouthwatering smells of fava beans emanating from massive jug-shaped pots.

The quest for answers will lead you to the nearest ful stall where beans are often slow-cooked overnight. Come morning, the mushy beans are seasoned with olive oil and tossed with a lashing of tomatoes, parsley, and lemon juice before being peddled to hungry patrons. Hot pockets of pita bread and pickled vegetables are common sides that perfectly complement the stew. Though the dishes are totally different, Mexican refried beans are often brought up as a handy reference for understanding the concept of ful medames.

Kebabs and Turkey are a match written in culinary heaven. The only question you'll be plagued with when weaving your way through the crowded streets of Istanbul will be where to begin. With a tempting assortment of aromas competing for your attention, the choices can seem overwhelming. But if you are a fan of minced meat, kofta kebabs make for a worthy candidate for your next meal.

As the name of the dish hails from a Persian word that means "to grind" or "pound," the essence of kofta kebabs is easy to understand. Despite the technological leaps in the food processor aisle, kofta is traditionally prepared with finely chopped meat. Once mixed with onion and parsley in a grainy, paste-like consistency, it is placed on flat, blade-style skewers until it morphs into the most tender, moist meatball you'll ever get a chance to try. Flatbread usually makes a worthy dance partner for this kebab — scoop a piece of the freshly grilled kebab with a morsel of pita, and preferably pair it with a yogurt-based dip. Classic tzatziki sauce would be a good complement to this kebab.

There are street food staples that have persevered over the course of centuries, but shish kebab brings considerable main character energy to the table with its history that spans the course of millennia. There is evidence that people skewered meat in Central Asia 2,000 years ago, and the tradition eventually landed in Turkey. With the word "shish" translating into "skewer" and "kebab" referencing roasted meat, it's easy to put two and two together to arrive to the glorious shish kebab.

Fondly dubbed as dinner on a stick, shish kebab knows how to play to the gallery. Once prepared with swords that acted as skewers over open flames, the modern-day shish kebab is now made with inch-sized cubes of meat gracefully stacked on metal skewers alongside onions and colorful peppers. When kissed by an open flame or a grill, the sizzling aroma is known to have everyone within a two-mile radius in a deadlock. When grilled to charred perfection, it is served on a bed of pilaf, flatbread, and veggies to make for an unforgettable meal.

When tracking the origins of Adana kebab, there is no room left for guesswork. After all, the kebab was named after Adana, the fifth-largest city in Turkey. Despite sharing a similar culinary philosophy with kofta kebabs, there are some key differences in the preparation of Adana kebabs. The meat used for this dish is traditionally minced by hand and seasoned with spices before it's shaped on long skewers. The signature indentations are made by the cooks who press down each piece with their fingers, leaving behind these characteristic divots.

Such is the allure of Adana kebabs that it has managed to carve a name out for itself in the crowded culinary landscape of Turkish street food. While moseying around the streets of Istanbul, you'll find yourself confronted with showstopper versions of this kebab — such as the five-foot-long skewered masterpiece that only the bold will try.

Long before the ring-shaped bagels were invented in 17th-century Poland, the aroma of freshly baked ka'ak was already well-known in the Middle East. The earliest mention of Lebanese ka'ak bread can be found in Arabic cookbooks from the 10th century, leading some to theorize that the bagel may have had Arabic origins.

The sight of street vendors pushing heavily laden carts and shouting ka'ak has long been synonymous with sun-kissed mornings in Lebanon. The word "ka'ak" hails from a Arabic and translates as "cake." Though it's used as a reference to a wide array of baked goods, within Lebanese cuisine, it refers to a handbag-shaped bread typically strung on bicycle handlebars and peddled by street vendors.

Similar to the American counterpart, this centuries-old bread is baked with sesame seeds, although it differentiates itself with an exaggerated ring-shaped form and a lighter dough. To compensate for the latter, you can choose to fill yours with za'atar or cream cheese. For your first introduction to this Lebanese staple, make sure you have the freshly baked version to be able to truly savor the sesame-studded crust before you make your way to the fluffy center.

Despite being the lone dessert entrant in this list, knafeh manages to fearlessly hold its own. With a long, storied history that dates back to the 15th century, this vermicelli-based dessert was once eaten as a full meal for suhoor — the pre-dawn meal consumed by Muslims before fasting for the month of Ramadan.

Down the centuries, the classic recipe of knafeh has evolved from the Levantine region and reached the shores of Greece and the Balkans. Like many layered desserts, the magic of knafeh lies in the details. First, there is the finely shredded phyllo dough, light as a whisper. Then, comes the cheese filling, designed to ensure the textural punch of biting into crispy vermicelli in contrast with stringy mozzarella-like cheese. Finally, sugar syrup is poured generously to create a harmonious symphony of flavors and texture — good luck stopping after just one bite.