The Exotic Travels of Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh, also known as Tambouli, Kisir, Tabouli and Eetch, is common fare in the Middle East. I wouldn’t doubt it if this dish had a passport or two more for other countries. This is a traditional salad served in a variety of ways. Its history goes back at least 4,000 years.
Bulgur wheat is a primary ingredient in Tabbouleh, along with mint, tomatoes, cucumber, spices and olive oil. This is a very healthy meal or side dish by itself. Bulgur is packed with nutrition for a grain, but it is outmatched by quinoa in caliber. Quinoa is a complete protein, whereas bulgur isn’t.
Recently I had a mind to use quinoa instead of bulgur and it resulted in a very tasty and eye-appealing version of tabbouleh. For presentation’s sake, I prefer to arrange the greens and other vegetables on a bed of quinoa. However, after serving myself a portion, I mix everything with a fork.
One of the biggest differences between Americanized tabbouleh and that found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries is that American-style tabbouleh usually has more bulgur than vegetables and traditional tabbouleh is usually made with more vegetables than bulgur. A good source of information on Tabbouleh is, Sunnyland Mills Tabbouleh Booklet – About Tabbouleh
Sunnyland Mills offers an assortment of recipes for you to try. I’ve shared my own recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh on HubPages
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