Lebanese Cuisine and CultureFood Sociology and Anthropology

Influences on Food

• Mountainous with a long coastline on the Mediterranean, which provides fish and seafood.

• The Phoenicians, were traders who reached this land around 3000 BC.

• Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Crusader, French and Ottoman influence.

Facts and FiguresNAME: Lebanon

LOCATION: Africa & The Middle EastGOVERNMENT: RepublicOFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Arabic (official), French, English, and Armenian

are also spoken.

MAJOR RELIGION(S): Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%.

MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%. Many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians.

Ingredients

• Wheat, rice, burghul (cracked wheat), wheat bread, pita, filo dough, rice dishes.

• Chicken, goat, lamb and mutton, beef, pork, fish and shell fish, eggs.

• Chickpeas, fava (broad) beans, lentils, black, navy, and red beans.

• Potatoes, tomatoes, olives, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, lettuce, chicory, garlic.

• Oranges, grapes, apples, dates, figs, melons, pomegranates, apricots, cherries, quince, raisins, sumac.

• Milk (goat, sheep, camel, cow), yogurt, feta cheese• Olive oil, clarified butter, sesame oil, vegetable oil,

sheep’s tail fat. Lebanese use animal fat sparingly.• Almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios,

sesame seeds.• Tahini , onions, garlic, fresh herbs (parsley, mint,

basil), spices (allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, oregano), lemon juice, rosewater, orange blossom water.

• Pickles, jam- cracked wheat fermented in yogurt, dried, and ground to produce kishk (used in soups, pastry fillings, and bread toppings).

Food Culture

• Lebanese flat bread is a staple food • Arak, an anise-flavored liqueur, is the

Lebanese national alcoholic drink. Another drink is Lebanese wine.

• Although simple fresh fruits are often served towards the end of a Lebanese meal, there is also dessert, such as baklava and coffee.

• Mezze is an array of small dishes placed before the guests creating an array of colors, flavors, textures and aromas. It usually consists of 30 hot and cold dishes

Dishes:• Fattoush-salad of parsley, mint, tomatoes,

cucumbers, onions, and pieces of pita bread. • Burghul bi d’feeneh- cracked wheat,

chickpeas, and meat• Hindbeh bil-zeyt- boiled wild chicory

sautéed in olive oil and garnished with caramelized onion.

• Sanbusak-crescent-shaped fried meat- or cheese-filled pie

• Baba ghanoush – char-grilled aubergine , tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic puree

• Shish Taouk – grilled chicken marinated with garlic lemon and various oriental spices (cinnamon, cumin.)

• Falafel – small deep-fried patties made of highly spiced ground chickpeas.

• Fuul (vicia faba)- slow cooked mash of brown beans and red lentils dressed with lemon, olive oil and cumin.

• Kunafi – choux pastry dessert stuffed with sweet white cheese, nuts and syrup, or the more common version with semolina pastry served on a sesame seed bun with vermicelli cooked in sugar syrup (very popular for breakfast)

• Kibbeh – mainly stuffed, can be made in different forms including fried, uncooked, and cooked with yogurt.

• Tabbouleh – a vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

• Hummus - dip or spread made of blended chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, and typically eaten with pita bread.

Latest food trends

• 1.Asian Restaurants: The first Asian restaurant saw the light this year with the opening of Le Hanoy in Achrafieh.

• 2.Brazilian Cuisine: They say Lebanon has 18 million expats in Brazil and still their cuisine hasn’t landed in here.This year’s World Cup helped spread the word and open up to international cultures.

• 3.Food Waste Awareness: Thousands of restaurants are opening and with that thousands of tons of waste are being thrown away while millions of refugees and poor people are starving. This year, restaurants owners are waking up to this issue helped by local NGOs to provide all the left overs to the refuge camps and the needy people.

Thank you!