The food of the Middle East is diverse and full of flavor. With culinary traditions that have been cultivated over centuries and dishes that have been influenced by the Arabic practice of hospitality, it’s definitely a cuisine that will win over your heart (and your stomach!). Check out these five delicacies that you need to try in the Middle East.

Start Your Day Right With Shakshouka

Breakfast in the Middle East is something not to be missed. There is a selection of delicious dishes that are typically served as the first meal of the day, including shakshouka. Once you’ve had eggs this way, you’ll never go back to regular sunny-side-up again! In shakshouka, eggs are cracked over hot tomatoes that have been slowly simmered with herbs and spices. The heat from the tomatoes cooks the eggs gently and infuses them with flavor and the result is a soft, decadent dish that you’ll quickly become addicted to. Sometimes, shakshouka is spicy, making the best thing to have when you really need to wake up in the morning. No variation of this dish is complete without a piece of bread to dip into the sauce and runny eggs. Filling and delicious, this is an essential delicacy to try in the Middle East. RELATED: 10 Awesome Candy Bars And Chocolate You Can Only Get In Japan

Dip Your Bread Into Baba Ghanoush

Many Middle Eastern cuisines focus on dips and spreads that are often eaten with flatbread or as accompaniments to meat. Hummus is the most famous of these, but the chickpea spread is far from the only dip that you’ll find on a mezze platter in the Middle East. Baba ghanoush is a simple dip but one that’s bursting with flavor. It only contains a few ingredients: roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and spices. The roasted eggplant gives the dip a smoky flavor that is perfectly complemented by flatbread. The best thing about baba ghanoush is that even if you do happen to leave the Middle East without getting the chance to try it, it’s becoming more popular around the world and readily available in other countries. It’s also super easy to make from home: all you need is the ingredients and a blender! RELATED: Top 10 Destinations For Chocolate Lovers

Fattoush Salad Is To Die For

Grilled meat serves as one of the backbones of Middle Eastern cuisine, but there are also several dishes that make use of fresh, seasonable vegetables. Fattoush is one of the most popular salads that you can find variations of in many Middle Eastern countries, from Syria to Lebanon. It’s tangy and flavorsome, making it the ideal accompaniment for a meat dish. Most fattoush salads are made using lettuce leaves, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, garlic, lemon, olive oil, mint, sumac, and fried squares of pita bread that act as croutons. In Syria, it’s often eaten wrapped up in lettuce leaves or vine leaves for an added hint of freshness. There are also other Middle Eastern salads to sample, including the world-famous parsley-based tabbouleh salad. But if you only try one salad during a trip to the Middle East, let it be the wonderful fattoush! RELATED: 10 Egyptian Delicacies You'll Fall In Love With

Forget Pizza And Try Manakeesh

Everyone knows that Italy is the birthplace of pizza. But the Middle East has its own variation of pizza that will definitely win over your heart. It’s called manakeesh and is simply to die for. Like many Arabic dishes, the appeal of manakeesh is in its simplicity.

You can find a range of different toppings on the round and flatbread base of manakeesh, but the most common varieties are cheese, ground meat or za’atar. The latter is a Middle Eastern spice combination usually comprised of ground thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, and salt.

Manakeesh is often served for breakfast but you will also find it available for lunch. While you can order it from a restaurant, it’s also commonly found sold from the carts of street vendors throughout the Middle East. It also makes for the perfect snack to grab on the go, especially when you’re in the mood for some comfort food!

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With Kanafeh

If you’re a sweet tooth visiting the Middle East, you are in luck. There are countless decadent desserts available in the Arabic world, many of them flavored with sweet syrups, crushed nuts, and cream. Anyone who’s a fan of cheesecake has to try kanafeh, a dessert which is commonly found in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. Sometimes referred to as simply knafeh, this dish features either Nabusi cheese or clotted cream that is layered between thin pastry or semolina dough. The pastry is soaked in sweet syrup and the cream is sometimes flavored with nuts. The blush coloring of the dessert comes from the addition of either blossom water or rose water. Each Middle Eastern country has its own variation of the popular dessert, with Turkish, Greek, and Balkan cuisines also serving up their unique versions of it. NEXT: The Safest (And Most Dangerous) Places In The Middle East