Tracking down my favourite jar of pickled cucumbers, with their distinctly salty, peppery and sour taste, is no mean feat in Scotland. But, as luck would have it, a small supermarket, just a five-minute walk from my flat, sells them in abundance. Out front, the shop’s name – Mediterranean – is splattered in yellow lettering; a stencilled-out sun smiles from the left-hand corner of the sign’s banner, summoning to mind the sand, sea and sunshine reminiscent of the supermarket’s namesake.

Inside, shoppers are met with a spectrum of Mediterranean foods: sumac, za’atar and rose petals line the spice rails, huge bunches of dill, aubergine, okra and pomegranates lay in baskets, and tins of chickpeas, broad beans and fava beans perch on shelves. Best of all, nestled between salted cauliflower and carrots and a tall glass of jarred chillis, sit my pickled cucumbers — distinctly Middle Eastern and Mediterranean all at once. 

The Mediterranean Sea is bordered by 22 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). So, why is it that when we think about the famously nutritious Mediterranean diet, our minds rarely turn to herb-filled stews, fattoush salad or baba ganoush dip?

I ask Dr Roaa Ali, lecturer in cultural sociology at Birmingham City University, for her take on the disconnect, and she explains that colonialist ideas of painting European culture – and by extension, its food culture – as superior, underlie the issue.

Dr Ali directs me (of all places!) to an episode of Friends to make her point. In it, Ross is mistaken for a man selling falafel: “The joke was that Ross was mistaken for him in a derogatory way. Both the falafel and the guy who sold it were understood as inhibiting a lower status,” Dr Ali explains. 

This lower status is why the MENA region is seen through the lens of war, deserts and scorching heat, while places like Greece and Sicily stir up images of suntans, cocktails and a picturesque holiday beside the sea. Historically, the ancient Greeks were seen as the epitome of strength, while (according to Edward Said’s Orientalism), MENA people were viewed as feminine and inferior; it’s not a leap to see why there’s little place for MENA foods in nutrition discourse.

“The Middle East and North Africa are systematically ignored or erased from the fun, romanticised image of the Mediterranean — which is mostly imagined through a European seal of charm, civilization and sophistication,” Dr Ali tells Stylist. And all this has a bearing on how we perceive food and what (and who) gets to be seen as healthy. 

The short answer? No. And the issue goes well beyond the Med.

Our food systems are tied up in our geographies and values and reflect our cultural histories. So, when people of colour are told their diets are less worthy or healthy, this can have serious implications.

In a bid to prevent the abandoning of traditional eating styles in favour of ‘healthier’ European alternatives, The Diverse Nutrition Association is changing the narrative surrounding nutrition. “Neglecting diverse perspectives can lead to a narrow understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and can perpetuate health inequalities,” explains Amaeze Madukah, the group’s co-founder, director and nutritionist.

The Southern European Mediterranean diet, with its characteristic red wine, olive oil and veg pasta, doesn’t have a monopoly on healthy eating. Things like oily fish — one of the Mediterranean diet’s main USPs — are also found across the African diaspora where people eat sardines and mackerel in their cultural dishes, and the same is true for whole grains. “Many African countries consume healthy whole grains such as teff, millet and sorghum,” adds fellow co-founder, director and nutritionist Melissa Saint Hill.

And cultural foods of the MENA Mediterranean are packed with nutritious elements of their own. 

Iman Hassan is a London-based nutritionist who moved from Kurdistan, Iraq, when she was a teenager. “Wholefoods are at the heart of the Mediterranean diet, and that’s the same across the Middle East,” she says, adding, “In Kurdistan, everyone buys from the bazaar and eats in season, and at the core of things, there are lots of plants.”

From protein-rich nuts and seeds and micronutrient-rich herbs and spices to omega-filled fish and heart-healthy fats, the diversity that is the hallmark of the Europeanised image of the Mediterranean diet applies to the coastlines’ MENA diets too. 

Call dishes by their original names

Step one is having an awareness of the ways our plates have been colonised in the first place.

Dr Ali explains: “It’s as if food coming from the Middle Eastern or North African regions of the Mediterranean can only gain legitimacy through being adopted as European themselves.” 

Counteracting this might simply mean labelling your recipe baba ganoush and not ‘charred eggplant dip’ — we’re looking at you, Martha Stewart. Or it might mean actively finding ways to add more MENA Mediterranean foods into our lives.

Look up recipes from MENA countries

From vegetable tagines and herby stews to fresh fish dishes, there are so many ways to incorporate a MENA Mediterranean eating style. Start by searching for MENA recipes online, heading to your local MENA-run restaurant and investing in an Algerian, Lebanese, Israeli or Syrian cookbook.

Eat your meals with a side salad

“Magnesium is abundant in leafy greens,” says Hassan, so try adding side salads to each meal in true MENA style, or opt for a hearty lentil soup for its protein and B vitamin benefits. 

A die-hard fan of Greek salad? You might fall in love with fattoush, meshwiya, tabbouleh or raheb salad too.

Look to dried fruits and nuts for an after-dinner dessert

Beyond food, we can all take a broader MENA Mediterranean approach to our eating behaviours, says Hassan, referring to the selection of walnuts, almonds, pistachios or sunflower seeds that are served alongside fruit in Middle Eastern living rooms. “When snacking, choose from different kinds of nuts and seeds or have fruits after dinner.”

Experiment with home cooking

“In Kurdistan, people hand-pick seasonal foods produced locally. In winter, we have this stew my mum always makes with the vegetables available in the colder season,” she adds, advocating for seasonal eating, celebrating home cooking, and where possible, making things like bread from scratch, as people do in her town of origin.

Shop in your local international supermarket

Finally, if you’re stuck for ideas, head to your local Mediterranean supermarket. Pick an ingredient you’ve never tried and search for a recipe hinged on that. International supermarkets often sell fresh fruit and veg in larger, cheaper quantities than chains, so you’re bound to find a good bargain. And if you happen to spot me, say hello – I’ll be in front of the pickle shelf. 

Images: Getty