West Asian Food - History for Kids!

                                     A meal in ancient Nineveh (about 700 BC)

The people of West Asia traditionally divided themselves into two groups who had very different eating and drinking habits, and who thought of themselves as enemies, even though they also traded with each other all the time. One group lived in the river valleys and on the plains, the flat land, and they were farmers. They lived mainly on wheat and barley, made into flat bread (like pita bread or pizza) or porridge. They also ate a lot of lentils and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), which they made into falafel and humus. These valley people drank beer, made out of their grain.

The other group lived up in the hills, and they were shepherds and goatherds. They ate a lot of cheese and yogurt and roasted mutton.