Comment on onions
SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 4 weeks agoPro tip: Turkish and Central-Asian food like shawarma is basically Mexican food but with wheat.
I’m genuinely curious, not being a jerk. I love Mexican food, I love Mexican American food, and I love Turkish food and all the central Asian food I’ve tried I enjoy.
But I can’t figure out what in the world you mean. Like which specific dishes are the same but with wheat?
Not entirely same, of course, but shawarma and burrito are imo similar templates that can be used with various fillings. You can have shawarma with beef or chicken, etc. You have some cheap local vegetables: where I am, it’s typical to see tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, maybe peppers, cabbage, or carrots. Of course, rice, guacamole and salsa are unlikely in a shawarma, but mayonnaise can be used, and that’s not too far off from sour cream, which afaiu is encountered in burritos. And for myself, I’ve been making a fusion dish of shawarma with rice, chicken, and various local vegetables.
Likewise, foods using pita or leavened lavash, e.g. gyros, can be seen as templates similar to tacos.
Personally I’m surprised that lentils aren’t used more often in shawarma and similar foods, given Middle-Eastern liking for fava beans and chickpeas — although reportedly falafel can be found in shawarma in some regions. Then again, I’m pretty sure I’ve used fried peas or beans when making my mishmash burwarma.
Apparently the al pastor method of meat preparation is directly derived from doner kebab, having been brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants — although it uses pork instead of lamb or beef, since Christians didn’t have restrictions about it.
For sure al pastor is from the area. Miss me with that pineapple though! Thanks
I also have the suspicion that there must be some overlap between the cuisine of Middle East (and possibly Central Asia) and that of South Caucasus, namely Georgia with their love for spices and hot foods. Which would then mean the existence of something in the spirit of shawarma, but hot and spicy. Haven’t encountered such a thing yet, but I’m guessing Armenian cuisine is the place to look, since they definitely use lavash flatbread for something.
RickyRigatoni@piefed.zip 3 weeks ago
Nice