The Mediterranean region encompasses all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, from the Strait of Gibral tar separating the rocky cliffs and crags of southern Spain and the seaport of Tangier in mountainous northern Mo rocco, to the Mediterranean’s far western reaches along the shores of the Middle East. Between these extremes lies a broad sampling of European, Middle Eastern, and African countries, all Mediterranean, yet each unique in culture and character: pastoral southern France with its orange groves, vineyards, and rolling hills; scenic Italy with its snowy peaks and sultry beaches; the former Yugoslavia with its dramatic coastline; the tiny yet sensationally mountainous Albania; historical Greece with its hazy, sea-infused ambience and its scattering of islands; geologically volatile Turkey; the Mid dle Eastern countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, with their coastal planes backed by a sudden rise of mountains; and then, returning east, the northern ends of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and back to Morocco, an African panoply of cliffs, peaks, ports, plateaus, and scorching sands.
Surely such a vast array of countries and cultures must dine on an equally vast assortment of foods. Although each country bordering the Mediterranean Sea does indeed have its unique culinary characteristics, the region maintains many common, and many more mutually influenced ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques. Pasta may come in the form of ziti in Italy and couscous in Morocco, and of course the ubiquitous olive oil, sea salt, durum wheat, and the most vi brantly fresh and irresistible vegetables and fruits characterize the entire Mediterranean with their unique, striking flavors. Not insignificantly, Mediterranean countries also share an attitude toward food and how it should be eaten.
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