hile most Lebanese recipes use common ingredients – chickpeas, cucumber, yoghurt, cheese, eggplants, tomatoes, birghul and sesame seeds, paste and oil – the number of resulting dishes is surprising. Creatively garnished with lashings of mint, parsley, lemon and garlic, Lebanese food is always immaculately presented and generously proportioned.
Most Lebanese feasts will kick off with mezza – a range of delicious starters to be shared socially across the table. Popular dishes include baba ghanouj (smoked eggplant dip), kibbeh (oval-shaped nuggets of ground lamb and birghul), tabouli (a salad of birghul, tomato, mint and parsley) and kafta (fingers of minced meat and spices char-grilled on skewers).
Meals can be lengthy affairs punctuated by passionate conversation and the drinking of Arak, an anise-flavoured liquor.
Dishes are creatively presented and served
with lashings of mint, parsley, lemon and garlic
Coffee is a big deal in Lebanon and is generally served thick and strong, with a hint of cardamom. Prepare yourself for some late nights as Lebanese hospitality ensures a never ending supply of A-grade caffeine, infused with lots and lots of sugar.
Lebanese Bread
