Cuisine
Levantine
مطبخ الشام
A cultural food region across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and neighbours — hummus arguments included.
Food here predates and outlives modern borders. Naming the Levant is more accurate than forcing every dish into one flag.
Olive oil, lemon, garlic, pulses, herbs, and grilled meats.
Countries and regions
Levant
Dishes
Shakshuka
شكشوكة
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato-pepper sauce. Maghrebi-Levantine family food, not a brunch fad that appeared in 2014.
45 minEasy🌶️
Hummus
حمص
Chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic — a dip, not a yoghurt smoothie, and not a Turkish restaurant garnish.
8 hr 15 minEasyNo chilli
Falafel
فلافل
Fried ground chickpeas or fava — herbs, garlic, a crisp shell. Not a mashed leftover patty.
12 hr 40 minMedium🌶️
Tabbouleh
تبولة
A parsley salad with a little bulgur — not a wheat salad with a parsley garnish.
50 minEasyNo chilli
Fattoush
فتوش
A bread salad — fried pita, vegetables, sumac, and a sour dressing that should stain your fingers.
28 minEasyNo chilli
Baba ghanoush
بابا غنوج
Smoky eggplant, tahini and lemon — the mezze that should taste of fire, not of a steamed vegetable.
50 minEasyNo chilli
Man'oushe
مناقيش
Breakfast flatbread with za'atar oil — the Lebanese morning that is not a croissant.
2 hr 7 minMediumNo chilli
Kibbeh
كبة
Bulgur and lamb, pounded or pulsed — fried torpedoes, a tray bake, or raw if you trust the butcher.
1 hr 40 minA bit of work🌶️
Shish tawook
شيش طاووق
Yoghurt-garlic chicken skewers — pale, tangy, grilled, and unfinished without garlic sauce and pita.
2 hr 32 minEasyNo chilli
Mujadara
مجدرة
Lentils, rice and a scandal of fried onion — the cheap pot that tastes like a house.
1 hrEasyNo chilli
Labneh
لبنة
Yoghurt drained until it is a cheese — oil, za'atar, and bread. Breakfast that is also mezze.
12 hr 10 minVery easyNo chilli
Kafta
كفتة
Minced lamb, parsley and onion on a skewer — the Levantine grill that is not a burger.
30 minEasy🌶️
Batata harra
بطاطا حارة
Potatoes fried and tossed with garlic, chilli and coriander — hot in both senses if you want them to be.
40 minEasy🌶️🌶️