Immerse yourself in a world full of culinary diversity in Lebanon with its appealing and varied flavours, which carry within them elements of Arab, Ottoman, and Mediterranean heritage. If you are among those who prefer healthy and delicious food, Lebanese cuisine is one of the best options, as olive oil, garlic, onion, vegetables, and lemon are among the most well-known ingredients used in Lebanese dishes. Foods stuffed with fresh meat in a variety of colours, alongside diverse mezze, are the most prominent features of the distinguished Lebanese restaurant.
This article presents the most famous Lebanese dishes that you must try when travelling to Lebanon.
Lebanese Kibbeh
Kibbeh is one of the most delicious Arab dishes, whose flavours have changed as it has travelled between Arab countries. Lebanese kibbeh has a distinctive flavour that can only be experienced in Lebanon — in the restaurants of Hamra in the heart of Beirut, or at street food carts in the bustling streets of Baalbek.
Kibbeh is prepared in eleven different ways in Lebanon, the most notable of which can be grouped into three forms: raw, fried, and cooked.
Raw kibbeh is kneaded with various spices and ingredients and eaten with bread, while fried kibbeh is the stuffed variety, which appears in the shape of small domes.
The third type of kibbeh is cooked kibbeh, which takes the form of small domes cooked in a special sauce. Kibbeh is made from finely minced meat, spices, bulgur wheat, and onion, while the filling of Lebanese kibbeh is a magical blend of mixed spices, minced meat, pomegranate molasses, and oil.
This delicious dish, to which Lebanese grandmothers add extra love and experience with their nimble fingers, draws attention with its appetising aroma and wonderful flavour.
Shish Barak
Although there are similarities between some Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, and sometimes Jordanian dishes due to cultural exchange, what distinguishes these dishes are the spices, the method of preparation, and the side ingredients. Shish barak is one of the most famous dishes of the Levant and is also known as “dhnein al-shayeb.”
This dish, which is said to have been passed down from Ottoman heritage, consists of small pieces of dough stuffed with onion, minced meat, and coriander.
The small stuffed dough pieces are placed in the oven until they turn golden, and then they are added to yoghurt that has been brought to a boil on the stove with a quantity of water, egg, and salt. The dish is ready after it has cooked for approximately a few minutes. Oil with a little coriander and fried garlic is drizzled over the top of the dish at the end.
Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves
This dish is cooked in various countries such as Turkey, Iraq, and Syria and enjoys wide popularity; however, the method of preparation differs between countries and sometimes between different Lebanese cities — some cook it with tomato sauce while others prefer to cook it with the addition of vegetables such as zucchini.
Green grape leaves, Egyptian rice, finely minced meat, lamb bones (preferably neck bones or chain bones), oil, and various spices are the most important ingredients of this dish.
After the cooked rice is mixed with the fried minced meat and spices, it is placed inside the cooked grape leaves. The stuffed pieces are arranged in layers above and below the bones, and then a quantity of water, lemon juice, and salt is added.
Because this food must be prepared over a low heat for at least five hours, this dish is prepared on special occasions such as the month of Ramadan and holidays.
Lebanese Tabbouleh
Although tabbouleh is one of the Lebanese starters or mezze, it enjoys wide popularity around the world and in Arab countries, and is considered one of the best dishes for those following a diet.
Bulgur wheat, olive oil, parsley, chopped onion, tomatoes, mint water, lemon, salt, spices, and lettuce leaves are the ingredients of this Lebanese-flavoured salad. This salad, which is eaten alongside other Lebanese dishes, is also served as a light meal in Lebanese restaurants and cafés.
Given the importance of this dish to the Lebanese, in 2009 a team of 350 people worked to make the largest bowl of tabbouleh, which weighed 4,323 kilograms, and it was recorded in the Guinness World Records.
Lebanese Meat Pie (Lahm bi Ajeen)
Lahm bi ajeen, or meat pie, is one of the most delicious dishes of the Levant as well as Turkey. This dish consists of a round or oval-shaped dough topped with meat, spices, and other ingredients, and is prepared in the oven.
The dough is made from flour, egg, salt, and water, while the filling is made from fatty meat, tomato pieces, yoghurt, pomegranate molasses, pepper, tomato paste, and bell pepper.
After all the ingredients are minced and the spices are added, the filling is placed on the dough, which is then transferred to the oven for the final stage of preparation. The reddening of the edges of the dough is an indication that the dish is ready.
Kousa bil Banadoura (Zucchini with Tomatoes)
Kousa bil banadoura (zucchini with tomatoes) is considered one of the most delicious Lebanese dishes. This dish is made from tomatoes, rice, minced meat, zucchini, and various spices.
After the zucchini is hollowed out so that it forms a casing to hold the filling, the material removed from the zucchini is kept to be minced with the meat, spices, and other ingredients.
The zucchini is soaked in a mixture of garlic, onion, and lemon to give it a better flavour, and then the filling is placed inside the zucchini. The zucchini sauce is prepared from tomatoes that are blended in an electric blender. The tomatoes are placed in the pot and the zucchini pieces, oil, water, lemon, and other nuts are added to them.
The filling is usually placed in eggplant in addition to the zucchini, and this dish is sometimes also prepared with yoghurt.
Hummus with Tahini
Hummus may be the most famous starter that can be eaten in Lebanon, in addition to tabbouleh.
The chickpeas are soaked for a night or more to prepare this delicious dish. Garlic, salt, tahini (produced from pressing sesame seeds), black pepper, and olive oil are the ingredients of this delicious starter. After the chickpeas are cooked until soft and drained of water, they are placed in an electric blender and the other ingredients are added until everything is fully combined. After blending, the hummus is placed in a small bowl to which lemon juice is added, and it is garnished with coriander and other nuts.
In this article I have tried to tell you about the most important and delicious Lebanese dishes that must be tried while travelling to Lebanon, but these are not all of the dishes — there is also ful medames, fatteh with chickpeas, fattoush, grilled meats, grilled kibbeh, mujaddara, Lebanese manakish, sayadieh, and molokhia, all of which are recommended to try in the various regions of Lebanon.
UNESCO has registered manakish on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of Lebanon, and you can refer to Lebanon’s file on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.