Lebanese cuisine

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Lebanese cuisine is the culinary traditions and practices originating from Lebanon. It includes an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten, it is usually lamb and goat meat. Dishes include copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, and dishes are often seasoned with salt and lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples of the Lebanese diet.[1][2][3][4]

Well-known dishes include baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, sfeeha, falafel and shawarma.[5][6] An important component of many Lebanese meals is hummus, a chickpea puree dish, and many dishes are eaten with flatbread.[7][8][9] A plat of veggies with tomatoes, cucumber, mint, olives and pickles is always served on table, and a plat of fruits at the end of the meal with a Lebanese coffee. Well-known desserts include baklawa, sfouf and ka'ak.[10] Some desserts are specifically prepared on special occasions; for example, meghli (rice pudding dessert, spiced with anise, caraway, and cinnamon) is served to celebrate a newborn baby in the family.[11][12]

Arak is an anise-flavoured liquor, and is the Lebanese national drink, usually served with a traditional convivial Lebanese meal. Another historic and traditional drink is Lebanese wine.[13][14][15]

  1. ^ Sheehan, Sean (September 1996). Lebanon. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-0-7614-0283-1.
  2. ^ Al-Faqih, Kamal (1 September 2009). Classic Lebanese Cuisine: 170 Fresh and Healthy Mediterranean Favorites. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-5649-0.
  3. ^ "Lebanese Food and What Makes It World Famous". CarbonCraft. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  4. ^ Laura, Perdew (November 2014). Understanding Lebanon Today. Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-1-61228-676-1.
  5. ^ Marlène, Dahlia & (27 November 2014). Lebanese Cuisine (in Italian). Edizioni R.E.I. ISBN 978-2-37297-134-8.
  6. ^ Anderson, John J. B.; Sparling, Marilyn C. (6 June 2014). The Mediterranean Way of Eating: Evidence for Chronic Disease Prevention and Weight Management. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4822-3125-0.
  7. ^ Al-Faqih, Kamal (1 September 2009). Classic Lebanese Cuisine: 170 Fresh and Healthy Mediterranean Favorites. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-5649-0.
  8. ^ Kayyali, Randa A. (2006). The Arab Americans. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33219-7.
  9. ^ Saleh, Nada (31 March 2012). New Flavours of the Lebanese Table. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-1876-2.
  10. ^ Al-Faqih, Kamal (1 September 2009). Classic Lebanese Cuisine: 170 Fresh and Healthy Mediterranean Favorites. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-5649-0.
  11. ^ Gall, Timothy L.; Hobby, Jeneen (2009). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Gale. ISBN 978-1-4144-4892-3.
  12. ^ Mouzawak, Kamal (15 September 2015). Lebanese Home Cooking: Simple, Delicious, Mostly Vegetarian Recipes from the Founder of Beirut's Souk El Tayeb Market. Quarry Books. ISBN 978-1-63159-037-5.
  13. ^ Zurayk, Rami; Rahman, Sami Abdul (2008). From ʻAkkār to ʻAmel: Lebanon's slow food trail : places, products and producers from Lebanon. Slow Food Beirut. ISBN 9787000414174.
  14. ^ Kuntz, Blair (2000). Lebanon: an insider's guide. Prana Publishers.
  15. ^ Karam, Michael (2008). Arak and Mezze: The Taste of Lebanon. Saqi Books. ISBN 978-0-86356-476-5.