If you’ve ever lived near or been in contact with Arabs, you know they take their food seriously. And it’s not just the food, but it’s also the ingredients (like the vegetables) that go into making it. Their cuisine is rich and diverse because they emphasize the freshness, colors, textures, and smell of everything they cook. As a result, you’ll find Arabic cooking colorful and tasty and its aroma filling an entire house with delicious smelling flavors. And if all of that deliciousness doesn’t  put you in a food coma, then maybe your host will, as Arabs take offense at anyone who refuses their food. That’s how seriously they take it!

In honor of the “puzzle pieces” that make Arabic food amazing, here is a list of some vegetables in Arabic language:


Parsley In Arabic – Baqdonis – بقدونس

This may not be a vegetable, but parsley is highly valued in the Arab community, either as a simple garnish or as a salad. Ever heard of tabbouleh?


Eggplant in Arabic – Bathinjan – باذنجان

From mutabbal (an eggplant dip usually served as an appetizer)to stuffed eggplants, these little guys can be found in every Arab household.


Zucchini in Arabic – Kusa – كوسا

These guys are also important, as everyone likes to stuff them with spiced minced meat and rice.


Carrot in Arabic – Jazar – جزر

These guys also get stuffed with the same mixture as the zucchinis and eggplants. (No, Arabs don’t stuff everything with rice and minced meat.)


Cucumber in Arabic – Khyar – خيار

Arabs eat cucumbers with everything and in any form. Whether pickled and served with shawerma, freshly sliced and served with hummus spread, or as simple, in-hand snack on the go, cucumbers are ever-present on the Arab table.


Garlic in Arabic – Thoom – ثوم

Can we all just agree that everything tastes better with garlic, no matter in what cuisine it’s used.


Corn in Arabic – Thora – ذرة

Corn is appreciated as a snack in the Arab world, but is also often added to many main dishes.

Onion in Arabic – Basal – بصل

Just like garlic, onions adds flavor to every dish that is eaten. Sometimes it is even offered fresh along with your mezza (mezza is sort of like the appetizer served before meals in the West), integrated in almost any dish you can think of, or used as a garnish (as in fried onions on top of mujadara – a vegan Arab dish).


Potato in Arabic – Batata – بطاطا

Potatoes are a hearty, filling ingredient used in the Arab dishes meant to keep you satisfied for a long period of time due to its starchy content.


Tomato in Arabic – Bandora – بندورة

Again, this is another cuisine staple. It can be used in sauces, as a garnish, in a salad, or stuffed and baked in the oven. Some foreigners have said that home-cooked Arab food that has a sauce is either red (tomato- based) or white (yogurt- or dairy-based). 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this different way of showing some of the commonly used vegetables of the Arab world. If you have the chance to eat some Arabic food, we highly recommend doing so. This cuisine has some of the most delicious (and also the cheapest) meals you’ll ever eat in your life!

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