Israeli cuisine spicy or sweet-and-sour, with ingredients such as bell peppers, chili peppers, figs, onion, artichoke bottoms, Swiss chard, beet, dried fruits, tomato, vine leaves, potatoes, mallow, eggplants and zucchini squash, and stuffing such as meat and rice in Balkan style, bulgur in Middle Eastern fashion, or with ptitim, a type of Israeli pasta. The Ottoman Turks introduced stuffed vine leaves in the 16th century and vine leaves are commonly stuffed with a combination of meat and rice, although other fillings, such as lentils, have evolved among the various communities. Artichoke bottoms stuffed with meat are famous as one the grand dishes
Greek Macedonian cuisine current specialties are trahanas with crackling, phyllo-based pies (cheese, leek, spinach) and wild boar. Favourites are "tyrokafteri" (Macedonian spicy cheese spread) and "soupies krasates" (cuttlefishes in wine). Unlike Athens, the traditional pita bread for the popular souvlaki is not grilled but fried. (Information included from 'Greek Gastronomy', GNTO, 2004) Various products are produced also by buffalos meat. There is rearing especially around Lake Kerkini. Greek Macedonian cuisine Macedonian cuisine is the cuisine of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. Contemporary Greek Macedonian cooking shares much with general Greek and wider Balkan and Mediterranean cuisine, including dishes from the Ottoman