What to eat in Lebanon
A foodie guide to Lebanon: from morning manousheh and fresh mezze to raw kibbeh nayyeh, Tripoli pastries, and anise arak.

[ ] Try manousheh zaatar
    Lebanon's quintessential morning flatbread baked in fiery neighbourhood ovens, spread with a paste of wild thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, and olive oil. Pick it up straight from a local bakery (furn) while it blisters and steams.
[ ] Try authentic Lebanese tabbouleh
    Forget Western grain bowls: true Lebanese tabbouleh is an intensely green parsley salad where bulgur wheat plays only a minor supporting role. It must be chopped uniformly by hand and tossed right before serving with lemon juice and olive oil.
[ ] Try fattoush salad with pomegranate molasses
    A vibrant peasant salad loaded with wild purslane, crunchy radishes, cucumbers, and crispy squares of deep-fried khobz flatbread. It gets its distinctive tangy punch from generous spoonfuls of sour sumac and ruby pomegranate molasses.
[ ] Try hummus topped with awarma
    Velvety chickpea puree rich in nutty tahini, topped with sizzling chunks of lamb confit (awarma) and golden toasted pine nuts. The clash of cool, creamy dip and hot spiced meat elevates humble hummus to festive status.
[ ] Try moutabal
    Smoky roasted eggplant flesh beaten with creamy sesame tahini, crushed garlic, and fresh lemon juice. Charred directly over open charcoal embers, it retains an unmistakably deep barbecue aroma absent in blender-made copies.
[ ] Try kibbeh nayyeh
    The crown jewel of Lebanese butchery: ultrafresh raw lamb or veal pounded with fine bulgur, onions, and aromatic seven-spice blend into a silky paste. Served bathed in cold-pressed olive oil alongside raw scallions, mint, and flatbread.
[ ] Try fried kibbeh footballs
    Torpedo-shaped bulgur croquettes featuring a paper-thin shell of spiced beef packed with minced lamb, caramelized onions, and toasted pine nuts. Fried until deep brown, they deliver a shatteringly crisp exterior and steaming aromatic filling.
[ ] Try Lebanese falafel
    Unlike all-chickpea versions, Lebanese falafel combines dried chickpeas and fava beans with garlic and fresh coriander for maximum interior fluffiness. Wrapped in fresh khobz with hot pickled pink turnip, mint, and lemony tarator sauce.
[ ] Try authentic Lebanese shawarma
    Authentic Lebanese shawarma divides strictly: beef marinated in vinegar and spices with tahini, sumac, and parsley; or chicken paired exclusively with garlic toum and dill pickles. Cabbage, ketchup, and heavy dressings are never used.
[ ] Try shish taouk with toum
    Tender skewers of skinless chicken breast marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and tomato paste before grilling over hardwood coals. Served with toum: an airy, snow-white garlic emulsion beaten with neutral oil and lemon into stable peaks.
[ ] Try mujaddara
    An ancient Levantine comfort staple of brown lentils and rice (or coarse bulgur) topped with a mountain of crisp, deeply caramelized onions. In Southern Lebanon, try mudardara for fluffy whole grains or mujaddara for the puree style.
[ ] Try foul mudammas
    A hearty morning powerhouse of slow-simmered fava beans and chickpeas gently crushed with mashed garlic, cumin, lemon, and olive oil. Served piping hot alongside raw scallions, whole spicy peppers, and fresh mint sprigs.
[ ] Try Baalbaki sfiha
    Delicate square pastry envelopes pinched at the four corners, originating from the ancient city of Baalbek. Filled with minced local lamb seasoned with labneh, tomatoes, pine nuts, and sharp pomegranate molasses.
[ ] Try coastal sayadieh
    The premier seafood specialty of coastal Sidon and Batroun: browned white fish fillets layered over long-grain rice tinted deep brown with caramelized onion stock, cumin, and caraway. Crowned with fried almonds and tahini sauce.
[ ] Try knafeh in kaak bread
    Beirut's iconic carb-on-carb morning ritual: a slab of molten, stretchy sweet cheese topped with crisp semolina crust stuffed inside a sesame-studded pocket bread (kaak) and doused in orange blossom syrup.
[ ] Try halawet el jibn
    A northern specialty from the historic city of Tripoli: gossamer-thin sheets of cooked cheese and semolina dough rolled around clotted milk cream (ashta). Garnished with crushed green pistachios and candied bitter orange blossoms.
[ ] Try maamoul shortbread
    Buttery, crumbly semolina shortbread traditionally molded in intricately carved wooden stamps for religious celebrations. Stuffed generously with aromatic chopped pistachios, spiced walnuts, or soft date paste.
[ ] Try osmallieh
    Two layers of golden, crisp shredded kataifi pastry baked until crunchy, sandwiching a thick layer of fresh artisanal clotted cream (ashta). Drenched on demand with rose and blossom water syrup.
[ ] Try Batroun-style fresh lemonade
    The signature refreshment of coastal Batroun: freshly squeezed lemons crushed vigorously with their peels and sugar, diluted with cold water, mint, and a drop of orange blossom water. Cloudy, frothy, and intensely aromatic.
[ ] Try Lebanese coffee with cardamom
    Finely pulverized medium and dark roast Arabica beans brewed in a long-handled copper pot (rakweh) with freshly ground green cardamom pods. Served unfiltered in small porcelain cups without handles.
[ ] Try jallab
    A cooling summer drink made from dates, grape molasses, and carob syrup smoked with natural incense, blended with cold water and rose water. Poured over crushed ice and topped with floating raw pine nuts and soaked golden raisins.
[ ] Try Lebanese arak
    Lebanon's anise spirit distilled three times from indigenous Obeidi grapes and steeped with fresh mountain aniseeds. Poured clear at over 50% ABV, it turns cloudy white ('the lion's milk') instantly upon adding fresh spring water and ice.
[ ] Try Bekaa Valley wine
    Lebanon crafts world-class wines from high-altitude terroir perched 1,000 meters above sea level in the sunny Bekaa Valley. Complex red blends of Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah yield distinctive notes of spice, dried cherries, and cedar.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/food-lebanon