Lebanese Cuisine in Dubai, UAE

Lebanese cuisine (Arabic: المطبخ اللبناني) 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. It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, often seasoned with lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples of the Lebanese diet.

Well-known savory dishes include baba ghanouj, a dip made of char-grilled eggplant; falafel, small deep-fried balls or patties made of highly spiced ground chickpeas, fava beans, or a combination of the two; and shawarma, a sandwich with marinated meat skewered and cooked on large rods. An important component of many Lebanese meals is hummus, a dip or spread made of blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, typically eaten with flatbread.

A well-known dessert is a baklava, which is made of layered filo (thinly rolled pastry) filled with nuts and steeped in date syrup or honey. 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.

Arak is an anise-flavored moonshine and is the Lebanese national drink, usually served with a traditional convivial Lebanese meal. Another historic and traditional drink is Lebanese wine.

Lebanese cuisine has ancient roots and is part of the cuisine of the Levant. Many dishes in Lebanese cuisine can be traced back thousands of years to eras of Roman, Greek, Persian, Neo-Babylonian, Byzantine, Arab, Egyptian, and Phoenician rule.[16][17] In the last 500 years, Lebanese cuisine has been influenced by the different foreign civilizations that held power. From 1516 to 1918, the Ottoman Turks controlled Lebanon and introduced a variety of foods that have become staples in the Lebanese diet, such as cooking with lamb. After the Ottomans were defeated in World War I (1914–1918), France took control of Lebanon until 1943, when the country achieved its independence. The French introduced foods such as flan, a caramel custard dessert dating back to the 16th century AD, eclairs, french fries, and croissants.

The Lebanese diaspora who live worldwide has introduced new ingredients, spices, and culinary practices into Lebanese cuisine, keeping the cuisine innovative and renowned both beyond and within its borders.

Most often, foods are grilled, baked, or lightly cooked in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used, other than in a few desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. Like most Mediterranean countries, much of what the Lebanese eat is dictated by the seasons and what is available. Lebanese cuisine also varies by region. South Lebanon is famous for its kibbe, the Beqaa Valley for its meat pastries (such as sfiha), and north Lebanon and Saida (Sidon) for its sweets.

In Lebanon, very rarely are drinks served without being accompanied by food. Similar to the tapas of Spain, mezeluri of Romania, and aperitivo of Italy, mezze is an array of small dishes placed before the guests creating an array of colors, flavors, textures, and aromas. This style of serving food is less a part of family life than it is of entertaining and cafés.

Mezze may be as simple as raw or pickled vegetables, hummus, baba ghanouj, and bread, or it may become an entire meal consisting of grilled marinated seafood, skewered meats, and a variety of cooked and raw salads and an arrangement of desserts. The assortments of dishes forming the mezze are generally consumed in small bites using a piece of flatbread.

A typical mezze will consist of an elaborate variety of 30 or so hot and cold dishes, which may include:

Salads such as tabbouleh and fattoush

Dips like hummus, baba ghanoush, and moutabal

Kebbeh, kafta, and falafel (fried chickpea balls)

Some patties such as the sambusac

Stuffed grape leaves and pickles

Roasted nuts, olives, and vegetables

Condiments like toum and tarator, ideal for the spread of sfiha

When dining as a family, the mezze typically consists of three or four dishes, but when served in the restaurant, the mezze can range from 20 to 60 dishes, as the variant combinations and dishes involved are plenty. Family cuisine also offers a range of dishes, such as stews (yakhneh) which can be cooked in many forms depending on the ingredients used and are usually served with meat and rice.

Although simple fresh fruits are often served towards the end of a Lebanese meal, there is also dessert, such as baklava and coffee. When sweets are not available, fruits are typically eaten after meals, including figs, oranges and other citrus fruits, apples, grapes, cherries, and green plums (janarek). Although baklava is the most internationally known dessert, there is a great variety of Lebanese desserts.