Earlier in the year, trends forecasters made their calls for what we’d be eating in 2025. As we get ready to look ahead to 2026, we like to take a quick look back at this year so far. A projection in particular caught our eye – the continued rise of Middle Eastern cuisine.
In their 2025 Annual Trends Report, the experts at Carbonate pointed to Turkish cuisine as a top trending cuisine for the year, giving the nod to innovators like Dalida and Meyhouse in San Francisco, and LA’s Lokl House. And it’s not just a California trend! From Chicago to New York, Turkish cuisine - and Middle Eastern fare more broadly – are taking the spotlight.
“Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine restaurants have significant influence on American trends. Middle Eastern, in particular, is poised to be incredibly influential in the coming years.” – Menu Matters, 2025
The growth of multi-unit brands like Cava and Luna Grill are further evidence of consumers’ growing appetite for middle eastern flavors. With plenty of lamb, hummus, flatbreads and kebabs, and an emphasis on grilling and olive oil for healthy appeal, there’s a lot to love.
We pulled a few of our favorite dishes with Middle Eastern flair for your inspo – we bet you’ll develop a craving too!
Our lambassador mates Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz featured this seasonal stone fruit and lamb skewer this summer, a riff on a popular dish from Turkey.
Chef Suzanne Goin’s AOC in Los Angeles features this #aussome za’atar lamb chop dish, complete with charred eggplant, preserved lemon and labneh.
Lambassador Chef Renee Scharoff made these fabulous and adorable bites of Moroccan-Style Braised Lamb Shoulder with Pommes Purée, served up on a tasting spoon.
Our own Chef Adam Moore’s take on “shashlik” adds color and variety with tehina sauces on the traditional skewered cubes of lamb found all over central Asia and the middle east.