Sweet

In the Middle East, sweets are regarded as a category unto themselves, not simply the culmination of a full meal. Few restaurants even offer a dessert course, deferring that honor to sweet shops specializing in pastries and ice cream. Instead, restaurant diners punctuate their dinner by choosing from a big bowl of fruit that is brought to the table, or a small serving of something cleansing and refreshing, like watermelon, that serves to counterbalance a rich meal. In fact, just about the only time a Middle Easterner will serve a prepared dessert is at the end of a holiday meal, as a signal that it’s time to go home!