Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Lebanon

Lebanon’s food is built around mezze capital of the Levant: bright salads, dips, grilled meats and arak, eaten leisurely and always shared. Look for Hummus (silky chickpea-tahini dip pooled with olive oil, scooped with pita), Tabbouleh (parsley-dominant salad with bulgur, mint, tomato and lemon) and Kibbeh (national dish of pounded bulgur and lamb, fried, baked or raw). Chickpea and tahini purée recorded in thirteenth-century Arabic cookbooks; Lebanon and Israel have staged rival record-breaking platters since 2009. This atlas has 53 Lebanon dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

53 dishes.

AckawiAckawimild brined white cheese, soaked to desalt then melted into pastriesAlmazaAlmazaPale lager drunk cold with mezze along the coast.AmbarisAmbarisSharp fermented goat cheese layered with salt in a jar over months.ArakArakAniseed grape spirit poured with water and ice until it turns cloudy.AshtaAshtathick clotted cream perfumed with rose and orange blossomAwarmaAwarmalamb confited in its own tail fat, spooned into eggs and kibbehBaba ghanoushBaba ghanoushsmoky charred aubergine mashed with tahini and lemonBalilaBalilaWarm chickpeas dressed with lemon, garlic, cumin and olive oil.Batata harraBatata harracubed potatoes fried with garlic, coriander and chiliDarfiyehDarfiyehGoat cheese aged inside a goatskin, dense and strongly flavoured.Debs w rashiDebs w rashigrape molasses swirled into tahini and scooped up with breadFalafelFalafelfried chickpea balls in pita with salads, tahini and ambaFattehFattehchickpeas, torn pita and warm yoghurt topped with fried nutsFattoushFattoushcrisp salad with toasted pita shards, purslane and sumac dressingFoul mdammasFoul mdammasstewed fava beans with lemon, garlic and olive oilHummusHummuswarm chickpea-tahini plates wiped with pita; hummusiot debate toppingsJallabJallabdate-grape molasses drink with rosewater, pine nuts and crushed iceKaakKaaksesame purse-shaped bread from carts, stuffed with cheese or za'atarKabeesKabeesbrined turnips dyed pink with beetroot, plus cucumbers and wild cucumberKaftaKaftaminced lamb with parsley and onion, grilled or baked with potatoesKallajKallajThin pastry sheets fried with cheese and soaked in syrup, eaten in Ramadan.KibbehKibbehnational dish of pounded bulgur and lamb, fried, baked or rawKibbeh nayyehKibbeh nayyehraw lamb kneaded with bulgur and spices, Sunday delicacyKishkKishksour powder of bulgur fermented with milk, cooked into breakfast soupKnafehKnafehsyrupy cheese pastry with crunchy topping, sold by the slabLabnehLabnehstrained yoghurt eaten with olive oil, za'atar and cucumber at breakfastLayali LoubnanLayali LoubnanChilled semolina milk pudding topped with ashta, syrup, nuts and banana.Lebanese wineLebanese wineBekaa Valley reds and whites, often blended in a Bordeaux styleLoubieh bzeitLoubieh bzeitgreen beans braised soft in olive oil, tomato and garlic, eaten coldMaamoulMaamoulButtery semolina cookies pressed in wooden moulds around date, walnut or pistachio.MafroukeMafroukeCrumbled semolina dough in syrup, buried under ashta and toasted nuts.MakanekMakaneksmall lamb sausages fried with lemon and pomegranate molassesMakdousMakdoussmall aubergines stuffed with walnut and red pepper, preserved in olive oilManakishManakishbreakfast flatbread smeared with za'atar-oil or cheese, folded hotMeghliMeghlispiced rice pudding with caraway and cinnamon, buried under nuts and coconutMoghrabiehMoghrabiehlarge hand-rolled couscous pearls with chicken, chickpeas and pearl onions

  • Tarator

    Tahini loosened with lemon, garlic and water, poured over fish and falafel. Ready in 10 min prep and none cooking.…

  • Ackawi

    Mild brined white cheese, soaked to desalt then melted into pastries. Ready in 45 min prep and 25 min cooking.…

  • Almaza

    Pale lager drunk cold with mezze along the coast. A wine & spirit recipe from Lebanon.

  • Ambaris

    Sharp fermented goat cheese layered with salt in a jar over months. A cheese & dairy recipe from Lebanon.

  • Arak

    Aniseed grape spirit poured with water and ice until it turns cloudy. A wine & spirit recipe from Jordan.

  • Ashta

    Thick clotted cream perfumed with rose and orange blossom. Ready in 15 min prep and 20 min cooking. Makes about…

  • Awarma

    Lamb confited in its own tail fat, spooned into eggs and kibbeh. Ready in 30 min prep and 2 hours…

  • Baba ghanoush

    Smoky charred aubergine mashed with tahini and lemon. Ready in 20 min prep and 40 min cooking. 6 servings. A…

  • Balila

    Warm chickpeas dressed with lemon, garlic, cumin and olive oil. Ready in 10 min prep and 1 hr 30 min…

  • Batata harra

    Cubed potatoes fried with garlic, coriander and chili. Ready in 15 min prep and 30 min cooking. 4 servings. A…