chopped parsley, bulgur, mint, tomato, scallion, and other herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and various seasonings, generally including black pepper and sometimes cinnamon and allspice. Turshi, pickled vegetables in the cuisine of many Balkan and Middle East countries. It is a traditional appetizer, mezze for rakı, ouzo, tsipouro and rakia. Dips Baba ghanoush, a dish of baked aubergine (eggplant) mashed and mixed with various seasonings. Hummus, a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Tzatziki, an appetizer, also used as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually sheep's milk or goat's milk in Greece and Turkey) with cucumbers, garlic, salt, usually olive oil, pepper, dill, sometimes lemon juice and parsley, or mint added. The cucumbers are either puréed and strained, or seeded and finely diced. Olive oil, olives, and herbs are often used as garnishes. Soups and stews Various stews served over rice form a major part of Iraqi cuisine. Fasolia yabsa (Iraqi white bean stew), made up of tender lamb or veal, white kidney beans (also called cannellini beans), tomato sauce and served over rice. Fasoulia, a soup of dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables. Fesenjān, a thick, tart stew made from pomegranate syrup and ground walnuts (see bazha), traditionally made with poultry (duck or chicken). Harissa, similar to keşkek, a porridge made of stewed and boned chicken and coarsely ground soaked wheat. Kebabs, a dish consisting of grilled or broiled meats on a skewer or stick. The most common kebabs include lamb and beef, although others use chicken or fish. Lentil soup, may be vegetarian or include meat, and may use brown, red, yellow or black lentils, with or without the husk. Maqluba, an upside-down rice and aubergine (eggplant) casserole, hence the name which means "upside-down". It is sometimes made with fried cauliflower instead of aubergine and usually includes meat—often braised lamb. Margat bamia or simply bamia, a stew made with okra and lamb or beef cubes in a tomato sauce. Margat baytinijan, an aubergine-based dish of the Balkans and the Middle East. All versions are based primarily on sautéed aubergine (eggplant) and tomato, usually with minced meat. Masgouf, a traditional Mesopotamian dish made with fish from the Tigris. It is an open-cut freshwater fish roasted for hours after being marinated with olive oil, salt, curcuma and tamarind while