Through history ancient and recent, Lebanon has endured earthquakes, invasions, occupations, devastation and destruction and through history its peoples rebuilt it and went on with their lives. It was known as the Switzerland of the East and its capital as the Paris of the East. These days Lebanon enjoys a comeback that is attracting the tourists and the investments that abandoned it for more than three decades. Having grown up there I remember the dark days of the civil war and the Israeli invasion but still hold precious memories of a happy life surrounded by a large extended family that nowadays is scattered allover the globe.
Lebanon, the land of the biblical cedars of the Lord, looks down from the mountains to the Mediterranean below. Here the archaic fuses with the metropolitan to form a beautiful proud, diverse and interesting land. Situated on the Eastern side of the Mediterranean between East and West, it is a cultural, culinary and commerce crossroads. Lebanese cuisine is the epitome of the Mediterranean cuisine, a cuisine that belongs to an ancient land that has been in the making pre-biblical days. It’s a reflection of its warm, welcoming and hospitable culture. If you happen to visit the country you will be welcomed very easily into someone’s home and your experience will be a memorable one. Its peoples, even through a long history of wars and political strife are life loving who like to socialize and be surrounded with culture, good food and whatever is a reflection of a good life.
Lebanon’s history and cultural background lend a unique influence to what the cuisine is all about. Having been under Ottoman occupation for about four hundred years brought influences that are still visible nowadays. The Ottoman Empire at its height spread through three continents with Istanbul its capital; it included parts of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia to North Africa. Borders were erased and influences went in many directions, to be able to make a determination of what cuisine influence which, you may need a food anthropologist to trace back the roots of any dish from any of the various cuisines of the empire. In recent history and after the defeat of Turkey in the First World War, Lebanon was put under a French mandate until 1934 that’s when it became independent and at its current state. The influence of French cuisine is very easy to trace, whether it is in pastries or the use of sauces and the introduction of different kind of cheeses. Another big influence on Lebanese cuisine is the Lebanese people themselves who have been and still are travelers. The different occupations and the Lebanese people’s search of a better life took them to all corners of the world and when they would go back they would take with them certain ingredients that would be introduced to the Lebanese cuisine. With Lebanese’s people love of the new and the trendy and what they got accustomed to through their travels or migrations, you will find nowadays every single world cuisine represented in Lebanon from sushi to burgers and Mexican…
With Arabic being the common language of countries of the Middle East, the similarities between Middle Eastern cuisines are very obvious, especially in the Levant. Unfortunately the different cuisines of the different regions are grouped all together under Middle Eastern cuisine which shows an ignorance of the geographical and cultural differences between those regions. Some of the names of the dishes may be common but the difference is far from subtle whether in preparation, ingredients or seasoning. The closer those countries are to the Mediterranean the use of herbs and vegetables is more common and as you get further inland you will find the dishes that are heavier on spices.
Lebanese cuisine’s genius is the complex simplicity and freshness that rely on the product of the sun, the sea and the land. It has the sophistication and subtleties of the European cuisine with the exotic flare of Middle Eastern ingredients especially spices and herbs. If you travel north to south or east to west though the dishes remain the same, the variations in spices or in ingredients reflect the location. You will find an abundance of starches, grains, legumes, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Poultry is eaten more often than meat. When red meat is consumed it is in small quantities and appears mostly in the form of lamb. Just like Jews, pork is not eaten by Muslims so most of what you find will be imported generally processed into ham and bacon consumed by Christians and Muslims who do not adhere to the practice of the faith. Lebanese consume copious amounts of olives and olive oil often drizzled over any cold dish. Butter is used rarely in the form of Ghee and mostly in desserts. Yoghurt is consumed in big quantities plain of course and in the form of Labneh which is strained yoghurt .Yoghurt is used as well in sauces and salads. Cheeses are mostly fresh and white .Fresh goat cheese and goat yoghurt is commonly delivered to your door by the shepherd in mountain villages. Bread, the staff of life is consumed with every meal it is used as a substitute of a spoon to scoop off food. It is considered very sacred. If someone happens to see a piece of bread on the ground he or she will pick it up, kiss it and find a higher perch to put it.
When a table is set in Lebanon there are common elements that you will find on it like olives, green or black or both, fresh vegetables and herbs, yoghurt, pickles, an olive oil decanter, jam, probably apricot jam and of course plenty of bread . Lebanese people end their meals with fresh fruit or a bite size pita with jam and the end of all meals coffee; Turkish style with sugar or Arabic style with no sugar and flavored with cardamom.
Having meals at a restaurant is reserved for special occasions and can extend for hours. It starts with Mezza; which are small plates that include hot and cold dishes, savory pastries, olives, pickles and even nuts raw or soaked in water. The meal is consumed with the national drink Arak which is distilled high alcohol drink made from grapes and flavored with anise. Grilled kebabs will follow usually a trio of chicken, lamb and kafta which is ground lamb mixed with herbs and spices and formed around a skewer. Any meal will end with coffee, Arabic or Turkish style and fruit; if you have room for it…..
With the chatter about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet; Lebanese cuisine can very easily take a prominent place as an example to follow.
