The 16 countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea are making a culinary splash in America. Take each country separately—from Spain to Greece to Turkey—and you’ll find a host of American restaurants that specialize in that region’s distinctive cooking style. Or, take the area as a whole, and you’ll find many up-and-coming restaurants that use the Mediterranean sensibility to create appealing fusion concepts never before seen outside the U.S. Either way, patrons can’t seem to get enough. Because the basic ingredients that form the Mediterranean menu resonate with simple, vibrant flavors, and make for one of the healthiest diets in the world.

Traditional Mediterranean cuisine features colorful fruits and vegetables (like eggplant, artichokes, tomatoes and fennel), whole grains and nuts (such as couscous, polenta and pine nuts), and olive oil, a flavorful source of healthful monounsaturated fatty acids. A glass or two of red wine, rich in antioxidants, is often a must at mealtime. The Mediterranean diet is also low in meat and dairy, and has been shown to prevent heart disease and lower blood pressure.²

Read on to learn more about the staple dishes of each region in the Mediterranean, and to find a few simple ways to add Mediterranean into your menu mix.

Spain. The Spanish Mediterranean spans from Catalonia in the north to Andalusia in the south, and includes a cuisine spiced with exotic Moorish influences. Spanish dishes vary greatly with the geography, culture and climate of the country. In the Mediterranean, dishes are heavily influenced by the variety of seafood in the surrounding waters.

Think: Gazpacho, mariscos, tortilla de patatas (potato omelet), paella, and tapas—small dishes served between meals at taverns and bars. The tapas trend is being seen in American restaurants dedicated exclusively to the concept, and patrons love the multi-course, shareable experience the small plates offer. Chef Emilio Gervilla operates five popular restaurants in the Chicago area called Emilio’s Tapas. Each serves authentic Spanish dishes at only slightly more than fast food prices, like Tostadas de Mariscos—country bread topped with avocado puree and marinated seafood. France. In northern France, the food is smothered in cream and butter, but in the Mediterranean south and French Rivera, it’s complemented by olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.

Think: Bouillabaisse, a fish stew made famous in Provence and popular throughout the Mediterranean, and ratatouille, a colorful vegetable dish from Provence. Mistral, a restaurant in Boston’s stylish south end, has been making national press for French-inspired Mediterranean dishes like grilled thin crust pizza with beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes and white truffle oil.

Italy. Italian cooking is the best known of the Mediterranean cuisines. It offers a wide array of regional diversity, and is firmly rooted in rural traditions that include fresh, quality ingredients.

Think: Ciabatta and foccacia breads, risotto, gnocchi, and pastas with light, tomato-based sauces. American chefs are revitalizing well-worn Italian menus with a fusion of Mediterranean influences. Sarah Bowman, executive chef at the Ristorante Brissago in Indian Wells, Calif., updated her restaurant’s existing Tuscan menu with a blend of Italian, French, Turkish and Moroccan influences. The new menu includes handmade potato gnocchi with fava-bean ragout, porcini-mushroom broth and Pecorino Romano cheese.

North Africa. Morocco. Tunisia. Algeria. Colorful and exotic, the cuisine here is one of a kind. Influenced by the flavors of Arabia, Turkey and the European Mediterranean, the North African palate is diverse yet distinctive. Cinnamon and cumin are two of the most prevalent spices, and other popular flavors include ginger, bay leaf, fennel, thyme, turmeric and red pepper.

Think: Couscous, and bisteeya, a poultry pie with phyllo dough, saffron and cinnamon, a specialty of the imperial cities of Morocco. Baraka Café in Cambridge, Mass. serves up French-influenced North African food in a décor designed to set the mood—with blue trimmed walls in warm tones, lined with photos of North Africa. Entrees at Baraka range from roasted eggplant to Algerian crepes filled with vegetable stew.

The Middle East. Middle Eastern cuisine is based on peasant and nomadic traditions that go back thousands of years. Many dishes described in the Bible are still served in the Middle East today.

Think: Hummus (garbanzo bean dip), baba ghanoush (eggplant dip), tabbouleh (bulgur and parsely blend), and falafel (fried garbanzo bean patties). In America, Middle Eastern Mediterranean food is already a well-known favorite. Byblos in Tempe, Ariz. offers a mix of standard and Americanized Middle Eastern fare in an upscale coffee shop atmosphere. The restaurant serves the ever-popular shawarma chicken and kefta-kebab, simmered in distinctive Middle-Eastern spices.

Greece. The home of feta cheese and gyros, Greek food is the essence of Mediterranean cuisine, and has made its way into the American mainstream.

Think: Spanikopita (spinach pie), dolomades (stuffed grape leaves), tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt dip), and eggplant moussaka. La Mediterranee, a California mini-chain of restaurants in San Francisco and Berkley, offers a skillful blend of Greek and North African flavors. Their menu includes the all-in-one Mediterranean mezze, an assortment of ten house specialties including lamb kebabs, dolomades, lemon-scented hummus and tabbouleh.

Turkey. As the bridge between Europe and Asia, the many cultures that have influenced Turkey are reflected in the country’s cuisine, which, contrary to popular belief, is not typically spicy, except in certain parts of the Arab-influenced southeast. Sauces are simple and light, using lemon and egg yolks, yogurt and garlic, and natural juice.

Think: Lamb kebabs and a wide variety of mezze (appetizers). Oleana restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. offers a $40 Vegetarian Tasting Menu, which includes five mezze—such as spinach falafel and crinkled cress with tahini, yogurt and beets—and a dessert.

Mediterranean made simple. Mediterranean food has always relied on fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, a requirement not always easy to achieve in a restaurant environment. Most fresh vegetables sold in foodservice are picked unripe so they will survive shipping, and locally grown produce is both costly and subject to varying availability.

On the other hand, high quality frozen vegetables are picked at peak ripeness, then blanched or slightly pre-cooked to retain flavor, color and nutrients. The Simplot RoastWorks® line of products is made up of fruits and vegetables that are flame roasted to bring out flavor and ensure a long shelf life. Simplot’s Mediterranean Blend is a mix of roasted yellow squash, roasted zucchini, baby whole carrots, green beans, roasted onions, and roasted red, green and yellow peppers. The ready-to-go blend is a perfect base for Tuscan lasagna, Moroccan couscous or Mediterranean orzo salad.

If you simply want to spice up a traditional menu, you can start by offering appealing, Mediterranean-inspired french fry dipping sauces. Try tzatziki—a yogurt and cucumber dip, harissa—made with roasted red peppers, dried chili peppers, garlic and mayonnaise, or muhammara—a blend of roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Simplot RoastWorks® offers Roasted Red Peppers to use as an easy-to-use base ingredient.

Baklava is also a favorite to add to your dessert menu. With layers of phyllo dough, and almonds, cinnamon and honey, this tempting treat goes well with any menu theme. Baklava with roasted apples offers the appeal of American apple pie with an exotic twist.

Click here for “A Taste of the Mediterranean,” an online recipe guide featuring 25 new recipes inspired by regions across the Mediterranean.

¹Source: The Hale Group Ltd/ IFMA/IFDA 2005 Presidents Conference
²Source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, Nov 2004