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

eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

, lemon juice, various seasonings, and

tahini Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant an ...

. The eggplant is traditionally

baked Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferre ...

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

meze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...

'' ('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), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...

bread. A very similar dish is mutabbal ( ar, links=no, متبل lit. 'spiced'). Mutabbal is sometimes said to be a spicier version of baba ghanoush. Mutabbal consists of mashed roasted eggplants,

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

, pepper,

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

, lemon and often yogurt.

Etymology

The ''bābā'' is an

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

word that means 'father' and is also a term of endearment, while ''ġannūj'' could be a

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is kno ...

. The word combination is also interpreted as "father of

coquetry Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving spoken or written communication, as well as body language. It is either to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with the other person or, if done playfully, for amusement. I ...

" or "indulged/pampered/flirtatious daddy" or "spoiled old daddy". It is not certain whether the word ''bābā'' refers to the eggplant, or to an actual person indulged by the dish.

Varieties

Eastern Arabian cuisine versions of the dish vary slightly from those of the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

by spicing it with

coriander Coriander (;

and

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

those versions might be minimally spiced and topped with thinly chopped parsley or coriander leaves. In

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

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

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

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

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

Gil Marks writes in his book that: "Israelis learned to make baba ghanouj from the Arabs". An

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

variant, ''salat ḥatzilim,'' is made with fried or grilled

s mixed with mayonnaise, salt, lemon and chopped fried onions.Levy, F. ''Feast from the Mideast'' (2003) p.41 It is usually topped with olive oil when served.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baba Ghanoush Appetizers Arab cuisine Assyrian cuisine Dips (food) Eggplant dishes Egyptian cuisine Iraqi cuisine Israeli cuisine Jordanian cuisine Lebanese cuisine Levantine cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine Palestinian cuisine Qatari cuisine Syrian cuisine Vegan cuisine Vegetable dishes

Etymology

Varieties

See also

References

Bibliography