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| Lebanese Cuisine |
 The cuisine of Lebanon is the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. It includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten it is usually lamb.
It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil and hardly a meal goes by in Lebanon that does not include these two ingredients. Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sauteed in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used other than in desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. While the cuisine of Lebanon doesn't boast an entire repertoire of sauces, it focuses on herbs, spices and the freshness of ingredients; the assortment of dishes and combinations are almost limitless. The meals are full of robust, earthy flavors and much of what the Lebanese eat is dictated by the seasons.
Lebanon has two national dishes, Tabouleh (Tabouli) and Kibbeh. Tabouleh is a salad made of fresh cut parsley, minced tomatoes and onions. Mixed with cracked wheat (bulgur wheat) and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. Kibbeh is an emulsified paste of the freshest lamb and bulgur wheat.
Arak is the national drink of Lebanon. Interestingly, these anise-flavored liqueurs came into existence around the turn of the century as a substitute-out of desperation actually-when the infamous beverage Absinthe became illegal. When absinthe became illegal, manufacturers substituted anise for the wormwood, to supply the demand, and a number of close imitations were produced including Pernod, Sambuca and various brands of Arak and Ouzo.
 One of the more healthy and entertaining aspects of Lebanese cuisine is the manner or custom in which their food is often served, it's referred to as mezze. Similar to the tapas of Spain and antipasto of Italy, mezze is an array of small dishes placed before the guests creating an awe inspiring array of colours, flavors, textures and aromas. This style of serving food is less a part of family life than it is of entertaining. Mezze may be as simple as pickled vegetables, hummus and bread, or it may become an entire meal consisting of grilled marinated seafood, skewered meats, a variety of cooked and raw salads and an arrangement of desserts.
Simple fresh fruits are often served towards the end of a Lebanese meal but there is also dessert and coffee. Baklawa, is a popular Lebanese dessert. The main difference between the Lebanese variety and its Greek cousin, is Lebanese baklawa often contains pistachio nuts and is drizzled with a rose-water syrup, the Greek variety usually contains walnuts and honey.This exquisite flavoured pastry has been made in Lebanon for thousands of years, its ancestor being a Phoenician dish consisting of dried fruit and nuts sandwiched between two layers of pastry and baked in an oven. Baklawa was undoubtedly spread west across the mediterranean and found its way to Greece by Phoenician sailors and merchants. In the 9th century BC, the Assyrians invaded Lebanon and spread Baklawa east across their empire which centred in west Asia, developing around the city of Ashur, or Assur, on the upper Tigris River and south of the later capital, Nineveh. As a result Baklawa found its way to most Middle Eastern cities.
 Coffee is a big deal in Lebanon. It is served throughout the day, at home and in the public cafes. Lebanese coffee is strong, thick and often flavored with cardamom. It is also usually heavily sweetened. When guests arrive at one's home, they are invariably persuaded to stay for a coffee, no matter how short their visit.
The food of Lebanon is a celebration of life; it is fresh, flavourful, diverse and invigorating. The genius of it is in its complex simplicity, and that the food is a product of both the earth and the sea. There is a natural bond that all of the Mediterranean cuisines share, from the tip of Spain to the Levant as the same waters equally kiss the countries of the Mediterranean, waters that the Phoenicians of old sailed and spread Lebanese culture and cuisine and left their permanent mark through their colonies. The legendary journeys of the Phoenicians not only spread the best of Lebanon across the seas but also brought back home the best of the cultures they encountered. Despite similarities of Mediterranean foods, the cuisine of Lebanon is without doubt in a class of its own . |
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