For National Sandwich Day, We List 4 Middle Eastern Sandwiches We Love

Okay, okay, while some of these may not exactly cater to all tastes, they are traditional Middle Eastern sandwiches eaten either as full meals or snacks throughout the region, and we love them. In honor of National Sandwich Day, we decided to list 5 Arabic sandwiches we love. If you haven’t tried them… You’re really missin’ out on the taste of culture!

1) The Halawa and butter sandwich – It is amazing. It is a combination of Halawa (sweet Tahini paste with a sand-like texture) and butter. In pita. You can’t really go wrong there. Unless you have high cholesterol, then you should really only consume this delectable, gritty classic in small doses.

2) The Classic Falafel sandwich – Yep, we all love falafel. There are lots of different variations of the falafel sandwich, and sometimes, in Levantine countries and in Egypt, they’ll even add french fries to your sandwich. Fun fact: When the falafel is made with chickpeas, it can be very high in protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber, as chickpeas are low in salt and fat and contain absolutely no cholesterol.

3) The Zaban – The Zaban sandwich is a Persian classic, which consists of a braised beef tongue, mayo, onions and sliced pickles inside a roll. Not for the faint of heart (or those who are strangers to exotic foods) this is considered a very classic meal/snack in Iran. Laborious in nature to make at home, they’re often available at street vendors in Iran and sometimes Persian restaurants abroad will serve them up. Give it a try…You never know!

4) The Doner Kebab – There are many variations of the Classic Kebab (shawerma) sandwich, but one of our favorites is the Turkish Doner kebab. Made normally with lamb or a mixture of lamb and beef, this sandwich is kind of a late night staple in the Arab world, much like grabbing a burrito or slice of pizza. Spiced with sumac, onions, pickled cucumbers and chili, the Doner Kebab is the sandwich to write home about.

Do you have a favorite Middle Eastern sandwich? Or a crazy concoction of ingredients that is so delicious we have to know about it? Tell us in the comments below!