Unlike many other ethnic cuisines, Mediterranean cuisine is not the product of a specific ethnic group or culture. Rather, it is a label that refers to culinary trends shared by a diverse set of peoples living in the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Although Mediterranean cuisine is understood as a unified culinary tradition in this country, in reality there is a great cultural variety in the cuisine of this geographical region.
The general characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine are largely determined by the climate and geography of the region. The Mediterranean climate, sunny and mild, produces an agricultural abundance that greatly influences the cuisines of the region, in which vegetables predominate.
The most used and frequent ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine is olive oil. Olive trees are present throughout the region, and their characteristic oil is one of the main export products of many Mediterranean countries. The oil, spicy and sometimes bitter, is used in a wide variety of dishes, both for cooking and for seasoning. Olives are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, and they add fermented acidity to dishes.
Fresh vegetables dominate Mediterranean cuisine, with a great variety of them as protagonists of the dishes of the entire region. Although there are some cultural variations, aubergines, artichokes, squash, tomatoes, legumes, onions, mushrooms, okra, cucumbers, and a variety of greens and lettuces flourish in this region and are widely used. Vegetables appear on dishes in a variety of forms: baked, roasted, sautéed on the grill, pureed, and served fresh in salads.
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I hope you enjoy this delicious Mediterranean dish!