Egypt

By Layla Abdel Rahman ~ Egyptian staples on the plate—baba ghanoush and tahini are dishes that contain more than taste, smoky rich bites with society, heritage, and culture. It was initiated centuries back in the ancient kitchen and evolved to be multi-generational favorite across borders, cured and eaten. From Ancient Seeds to Table Staples Boiled down to paste of ground sesame seeds to powder, the world's oldest condiment is tahini. Sesame survived more than 3,500 years, and Egyptians documented its sowing—where oil and worth made it so much more valuable. Borrowed from Arabic ṭaḥīna, "to crush," and first appeared in medieval cuisine in Arabic—like the 13th-century Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada—it bestows it...