What's on the menu?
You’ll find this sweet, golden flaky pastry layered with nuts and syrup in countries from Greece to Lebanon to Iran — and no one agrees who invented it.
What is baklava?
This phrase meaning “God willing” is used across languages from Arabic to Farsi to Turkish.
What is inshallah?
This river, central to Egyptian civilization, is the longest in the world.
What is the Nile?
This Lebanese pop queen has been the Arab world’s Beyoncé since 2003.
Who is Nancy Ajram?
If someone says “yalla,” they probably want you to do this.
What is hurry up/let’s go?
In many traditional Middle Eastern meals, this item (edible and practical) often replaces utensils.
What is bread? (accept naan/lavash/taboon/etc.)
In many Arab, Iranian, and Turkish homes, serving this item last during a meal, often with fruit or sweets, signals the night is winding down. It's time to get comfy.
What is tea/chai?
This Middle Eastern civilization invented the first alphabet and purple dye.
Who were the Phoenicians?
This Egyptian comedian went from surgeon to talk show legend, sometimes called the “Jon Stewart of the Arab world.”
Who is Bassem Youssef?
In Turkish, “canım” (pronounced jah-num) literally means “my soul,” but is used to mean this.
What is my dear/my darling?
This popular Persian yogurt-based drink is refreshing (if you can handle the salt…)
What is doogh/ayran?
During Eid al-Fitr, it’s common for elders to give this to younger relatives as a sign of joy and blessing.
What is Eidi (money or gifts)?
This ancient institution in Egypt, founded under the Ptolemaic dynasty, sought to acquire every book in existence (even copying scrolls from ships in the harbors) before vanishing in a series of mysterious disasters.
What is the Library of Alexandria?
This Iranian director is famous for blending fiction and reality in minimalist films like Taste of Cherry and Close-Up.
Who is Abbas Kiarostami?
This word means “crazy” in Arabic slang, and is also the name of a legendary lover in Middle Eastern poetry.
What is majnoon?
This North African dish features slow-cooked meat, vegetables, and spices cooked in a conical clay pot.
What is tagine?
This blue charm is sometimes worn with the belief it wards off jealousy or bad luck.
What is the evil eye (nazar)?
This Persian physician’s Canon of Medicine was a standard text in Europe for centuries.
Who is Avicenna (Ibn Sina)?
This popular Netflix show dramatizing the lives of Saudi girls at an elite private school was hailed as groundbreaking for Gulf representation.
What is Al Rawabi School for Girls?
In Persian, saying “my heart is tight” doesn’t describe a heart attack; it means this emotion.
What is sadness or anxiety?
This smoky eggplant dish’s name literally translates to “pampered father” in Arabic.
What is baba ghanoush?
Across the Persian world, this cultural practice, common in Persian involves offering something with the expectation that the other person politely refuses-- at least once. The word for this back-and-forth hospitality originates from Arabic.
What is taarof?
This ancient code of laws from Mesopotamia is one of the earliest written legal systems.
What is the Code of Hammurabi?
This Palestinian-American producer and DJ rose to fame for his viral TikTok remixes blending Arabic beats with global pop, becoming one of the faces of the new Arab electronic wave. He is currently on a tour.
Who is DJ Habibeats?
In many MENA languages this singular two-letter word can change an entire sentence’s tone; it can mean “oh,” “hey,” “you,” or simply summon attention before a name.
What is “ya”?