Lebanon scenically and historically is one of my favorite countries. The minute I stepped out of the airport and started making my way into Beirut I felt a strange sense of being home. I thought the way the buildings layer each other up the mountains separated by the small and cozy streets that wind through the ancient city were charming and had an old world feel to it.
Beirut is a city of contradictions mixed with passion for religion and politics. Food is another passion in the mix, it could be the glue that precariously holds the country together and keeps a common thread running through the veins of the much-divided culture.
There are so many delectable culinary treats in Lebanon, where do I begin?
Olive oil
I’ll start with the olive oil. Oh the olive oil!! Many Lebanese people who live in Beirut have family homes in the south in a small village and some make their own olive oil. It is the staple in Lebanese cooking, one friend of mine told me his grandmother told him to take a spoonful each morning to promote health and longevity. Homemade olive oil is thick, chunky and dark the true meaning of olive green. You can find homemade olive oil in small markets sold in the 1.5liter water bottles. When I say thick and chunky, I mean it is almost syrup-like with little pieces of olive. It is cloudy and one might not recognize it as olive oil at first glance. It is amazing with a rich almost nutty flavor. It’s a perfect condiment for any Middle Eastern dish or to cook with.
Fruit in Lebanon
Lebanon is the only Middle Eastern countries that are entirely green with an abundance of fresh water and forests. Produce is very cheap, fresh and rich with a wide variety. The fruit cocktail is a staple street food in Lebanon. It comes in a large plastic cup with over-flowing chunks of mixed fresh fruit; layers of avocado milk, strawberry and orange juices, plus topped with honey, ackkawi (a slightly salty, soft white cheese often paired with fruit) and pistachios. Every shop may have a different style, but this is generally what it is. These stores also sell fresh juices with a wide variety of fruit. They layer the juices in colorful tiers in the glass, freshly made in front of you. There’s really nothing like it!
Breakfast in Lebanon
Breakfast in Lebanon like in Western countries can be very heavy, but it is also very delicious. My favorite breakfasts have been the times I had a selection fouls and balila with pita bread and an assortment of vegetables and herbs. Foul are legumes like flava beans cooked in olive oil, ground chickpeas, onion, garlic and cumin, served warm. Balila is similar but is only chickpeas, also served warm. You eat it with pita bread, vegetables, fruit and herbs such as radish, cucumber, tomato, lemon, za’atar and mint. Lebanese food is always served with this mix of vegetable, fruit and herbs set on the table almost like a centerpiece. The first time I had this breakfast was at a meeting for the restaurant I was building a sushi bar for.
Another breakfast food quite popular in Lebanon is kunafi. Kunafi is a semolina pastry stuffed with cheese served on a sesame bun with sweet sugar syrup served warm so the cheese is melted inside. It is a delicious, filling pastry but sits in your stomach like a brick.
Needless to say I did gain some weight in my 7 months in Lebanon. I haven’t even begun to touch on the really interesting and mouth-watering culinary delights I experienced in this most unique and unpredictable country. I am sorry for the lack of photographs, I would love to show you what I am writing about. But when I left Lebanon I had to leave some things behind and my camera ended up to be one of them. But I will write about that story in another time…
Keep eating!!
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