According to a recent report, 81% of Egyptians don’t have enough to cover their monthly food bill A recent government survey has revealed an increasing number of Egyptians are struggling to clothe and feed themselves whilst keeping a roof over their heads. The report by the Egyptian Food Observatory found that of the 1680 households [...]
Ordering a foul or falafel sandwich at any fast food chain or street vendor in Cairo puts consumers one step closer to triple bypass surgery. This has less to do with the food itself than it does with how it is prepared, since Egyptian cuisine, a fluid, nebulous thing fraught with the influence of so many [...]
Sour green plums the size of large marbles are in the shuk now, a seasonal favorite of the Iraqi community. Eat them out of hand as a snack, sprinkling each bite with a little salt. The classic Iraqi way to cook them is to pair them with meat in a flavorful stew. And if you [...]
Major pink slime company files for bankruptcy protection in the US. Dubbed ‘Pink Slime’ by activists and ‘finely textured beef’ by the manufacturers, beef filler made by ammonium has turned out to be a smoking gun in the food industry, demonstrating just how powerful activist intervention is in changing paradigms. One of the biggest ground [...]
Food miles explained: I know the best option is to grow and buy locally. But when that isn’t possible, what is the least worse option? It was like one of those weird trivia quizzes, What do these places have in common: Israel, Egypt, Chile and the United States? The answer is that berries from these countries were [...]
Cold weather is still calling for soup. Try this light, vegan one based on Jerusalem artichokes. Vegeware means you might not be committed to vegetarianism, but are committed to doing your part by being vege “aware”. Here’s our weekly vegetarian recipe to help you cut some meat out of your diet: What I particularly like [...]
Late winter in the Middle East brings lower prices in the shuk. It’s strawberry time again in the Middle East.The sweet red berry’s price has come down to the point where even a careful shopper can allow herself a little indulgence. But let’s wait another 4-6 weeks for prices to fall even more; then we [...]
Researchers in Al Ain find that saffron can protect your liver from cancer. Great news just in time for Christmas: Arab scientists from the United Arab Emirates have located anti-cancer compounds in the much loved and expensive spice saffron. Known for centuries as a home remedy, the research project led by Professor Amr Amin from [...]
It may be winter in the Middle East, but shoppers can still load up on beautiful fresh produce. It’s officially winter in the Middle East. We’d hoped it would be raining now, but climate change is evident in blue skies and dry ground everywhere. Open-air markets ring with the shouts of vendors and the bustle [...]
The best aromatics appear in Middle Eastern markets after the first rains. Agricultural wisdom in the Middle East says that olives and citrus fruit are best harvested after it’s rained. Olive season is just about over, although if you’re lucky you can still find some raw to pickle at home. But citrus have responded to [...]
Is the eco-friendly food movement getting even more complicated, or are ecotarians simplifying matters? The green movement is riddled with a lot of food ideologies. When it comes to food, there are a lot of environmental issues to consider: locavores protest the pollution stemming from the transport of food from far away, vegetarians (and vegawarians) [...]
A sustainable T.R.E.E. grows in Aspen, where children learn about real food. As a child, Israeli-born Eden Vardy wanted to know where his food came from. And since he grew up in Aspen, Colorado, his food generally came from a supermarket and was probably transported from far away. As he grew older and learned more [...]
With so many food options and food movements out there, what do you choose? Food is a major factor in human health, and in environmental health as well. There are an abundance of eco-friendly food movements out there, including vegans, vegetarians, vegawarians, locavores, and those who eat strictly organic food. By the way, those who [...]
Asparagus season is short, so rush out to the market and get your asparagus while you can. Then cook it in one of these delicious ways. It always gives me a lift when I’m trawling the shuk for local vegetables and see bundles of delicate green and purple asparagus spears. I love it for its [...]
Miriam suggests ways to cook free wind-sown vegetables. At this time of year, you may find free vegetables growing in your own backyard (like Karin did), or in your windowbox. Springing up from wind-sown seeds and roots that slept underground through last summer, the newly green landscape is actually full of green vegetables. The first [...]
Piquant with booze and naturally sweet, these grilled oranges are a quick, sophisticated dessert for a winter dinner. It’s still officially winter in the Middle East, although spring is making a premature appearance with warm, windy days and scanty rain. Orange trees shed their heady fragrance over sidewalks and gardens, while open-air markets display piles [...]
This happy bug muncher couldn’t care less about stigmas. Time to bite the bug? Certain varieties are kosher and halal. Are you craving for something different to satisfy the “munchies”? Or are you interested in trying a new kind of food that’s high in protein and low in saturated fats and other bad stuff? Then [...]
Protect the environment by eating the (animal or plant) species trying to invade it. What does a Middle Eastern invasivore look like? Environmentalists have a lot of crazy eating habits. You’ve got the hardcore vegans who avoid all meat and animal byproducts, the vegetarians who will not eat meat (but eat dairy and eggs), the [...]
Spice up your breakfast egg with this easy recipe from Saudi Arabia. Eggs are back to being the heroes of the breakfast table. Today’s wisdom decrees that one large egg daily gives you healthy amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals – all for about 72 calories. The cholesterol in the yolk, it’s said, doesn’t raise [...]
Do those sugar-heavy breakfast cereals in the supermarket make you sad? Brighten your mornings up with your own healthy cornflakes. Here at Green Prophet, we like our breakfast. But how about those mornings when the alarm clock rings and we turn it off to sleep just a second more…and we leap out of bed 15 [...]
Which is a bigger environmental sin – imported produce or imported farmers? For the past few days Israeli farmers have been protesting a governmental decision to cut the amount of foreign workers legally permitted to come work in the agricultural sector, with the demonstration planned to continue tomorrow as well. The growers have been demonstrating [...]
It’s no secret that the Gulf states are heavily dependent on foreign farmlands for their food and no more so than the United Arab Emirates which imports 80% of its food products. Most foods you see stocked in the UAE’s supermarkets will have been brought in from elsewhere ready to sell directly to the consumer [...]
What good is a farmer’s market if it only appeals to a small group of people? Beirut’s Souk el Tayeb reaches out to the community. Whereas some farmer’s markets can set an elitist tone – appealing mostly to a yuppy or wealthy clientele instead of delighting in bringing good food and good values to the [...]
In an interview with Green Prophet, Yael Mejia describes the benefits of buying fresh food locally. It was largely because of Yael Mejia’s efforts to provide the good people of Dubai a fresh, no-frill food experience that the region’s first Farmers Market took place. Their Brand Consultant, Yael has been wooing local farms in the [...]
It’s world vegetarian month! Coriander, lemon, and four kinds of vegetables make a mouth-watering vegetarian couscous. Natural locavores, good Middle Eastern cooks take pleasure in seeking out the very best and freshest vegetables in the open-air markets, transforming inexpensive local ingredients into delicious traditional foods. Some examples include mulukhiya (our mulukhiya recipe here) and couscous. [...]
Fasting, while probably better for the environment, is unfortunately unsustainable for us humans. What other ways can you make your eating eco-friendly? Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is one of the holiest days of the year for Jews and is a time of reflection, atonement, fasting and prayer. It is a day when [...]
The honey bee chooses the flower, which changes the flavour of the honey. Which honey do you choose? The Jewish New Year, otherwise known as Rosh Hashanah, was celebrated just this past week, and one of the most common symbols of this time is honey. A jar of honey symbolises a sweet new year, so [...]
Tel Aviv is home to all types of trendsetters – including the green ones. This past week the Miami Herald reported on what we’ve known for years: that Tel Aviv, while hot in general, is also one of the hottest green destinations of late. Their article reported on Tel Aviv’s urban farming, vegan/organic/local food options, [...]
Arwa offers a 6 step guide to greening this year’s Ramadan starting August 11. With the month of Ramadan quickly approaching, Muslims across the world are beginning to prepare for the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Food supplies are stocked up (ironic, I know), appointments are rescheduled and preparations are made for the [...]
More Jews in Britain are finding spiritual and culinary inspiration by growing their own food. Jews are known for their love of food, but less so for their love of farms. Most Jews in Britain live in big cities where, like many urban-dwellers, they are detached from the people and places producing their nosh. But [...]
The temperature’s rising! Part of your perfect summer meal must be fresh and fruity! Naomi gathers 7 excellent recipes for your feast. Image via vintagedept Did you ever feel like you were running out of options for summer meals? When it comes to meal time in the summer, it is always a challenge to balance [...]
Baking sourdough bread can be a pleasure, but a bit like owning a pet. Miriam continues the series on baking great sourdough bread and how to maintain your starter. Earlier in the week, we covered how to make the starter for your sourdough recipe. But your starter needs to be fed. Yeasts need to be [...]
You can bake a sourdough corn bread like this, too. our 4-part series on baking with sourdough starts here. People have relied on wild yeasts to ferment their bread doughs, beer, and wine for thousands of years. By contrast, commercial yeast has only been around for about 100 years. It only became possible to culture [...]