Lebanese cuisine

Taro (; Colocasia esculenta) is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Caribbean, Oceanian, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures (similar to yams).

Couscous () is a traditional North African dish of small steamed granules of rolled semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.

Shawarma (; ) is a Middle Eastern dish that originated during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, it may also be made with chicken, turkey meat, beef, falafel or veal. The surface of the rotisserie meat is routinely shaved off once it cooks and is ready to be served. Shawarma is a popular street food throughout the Arab world, Israel and the Greater Middle East.

coffee brewing method originating from Turkey

Ayran ( ) is a cold savory yogurt-based beverage that is consumed across Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East. The principal ingredients are yogurt, water and salt. Herbs such as mint may be optionally added. Some varieties are carbonated. It is a national drink of Turkey.

Semolina is a coarse flour traditionally made from durum wheat. Its high protein and gluten content make it especially suitable for pasta.

thumb|Jalebi being prepared by a street vendor in Bangalore, India Jalebi is a common sweet snack in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia and some parts of Africa. It goes by many names, including jilapi, zelepi, jilebi, jilipi, zulbia, zoolbia, jerry, mushabak, '''''z'labia, or zalabia.'''''

Tahini (; , or, in Iraq, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment (a seed butter) made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled ones can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Tahini can be served by itself (as a dip), made into a salad dressing, or used as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, or halva.

Börek (also burek or byrek) is a family of pastries or pies made in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. A börek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. They are usually baked but some varieties can be fried. Börek is sometimes sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds, and it can be served hot or cold.

cucumber preserved in vinegar

thumb|Coarse bulgur

dish of cabbage leaves with a filling

Tabbouleh (), also transcribed tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Levantine salad of finely chopped parsley, soaked bulgur, tomatoes, mint, and onion, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper. Some variations add lettuce, or use semolina instead of bulgur.

Halloumi, or haloumi, is a cheese originating from Cyprus. It is traditionally made from a mixture of goat milk and sheep's milk; however, due to industrial tactics to increase profit, modern halloumi increasingly contains cow's milk. The cheese's texture is often described as "squeaky". It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat alternative among vegetarians. Rennet (mostly vegetarian or microbial) is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production, although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.

Levantine appetizer consisting of finely chopped roasted eggplant, olive oil, lemon juice, various seasonings, and tahini

Lahmacun, lahmajun or lahmajo is a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat (most commonly beef or lamb), minced vegetables, and herbs such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley, flavored with spices such as chili pepper and paprika, then baked. Lahmacun is often wrapped around vegetables, including pickles, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, parsley, and roasted eggplant.

Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ; ) is a popular dish in the Arab world and the Levant in particular, made of spiced lean ground meat and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Lebanon and Syria.

Salep, also spelled sahlep, salepi or sahlab, is a flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis (including species Orchis mascula and Orchis militaris). These tubers contain a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts, especially in the cuisines of the former Byzantines and Ottoman, notably in the Levant where it is a traditional winter beverage. An increase in consumption is causing local extinctions of orchids in parts of Greece, Turkey, and Iran.

Maqluba (also attested by a variety of other spellings in English; ) is a traditional Levantine dish, a variety of Pilaf that is popular across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Iraq. It consists of meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name.

Kashk, kishk, ( Kašk, ), () qurut, qurt, kurut, kurt, qqet, jameed, shilanch (Tuvan and , , , , , Tajik: қурут, ), chortan ( chort’an), aaruul or khuruud (Mongolian: ааруул or хурууд) is a range of dairy products popular in Iranian cuisine, Caucasian cuisine, and Central Asian cuisine. Kashk is made from strained yogurt, drained buttermilk (in particular, drained qatiq) or drained sour milk by shaping it and letting it dry. It can be made in a variety of forms: rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks.

'''Za'atar' ( ; , ) is a versatile herb blend and family of wild herbs native to the Levant, central to Middle Eastern cuisine and culture. The term refers both to aromatic plants of the Origanum and Thymbra genera (including Origanum syriacum, known as Bible hyssop) and to the prepared spice mixture of dried herbs (traditionally Origanum syriacum''), toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. With roots stretching back to ancient Egypt and classical antiquity, za'atar has been used for millennia as a seasoning, folk remedy, and cultural symbol.

culinary traditions of Lebanon

serving and drinking customs of Arabic coffee

Fattoush (; also fattush, fatush, fattoosh, and fattouche) is a Levantine salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes, cucumber and tomatoes. Fattoush is a common part of meals in communities in the Levant.

Muhallebi ( or ; ) is a milk pudding commonly made with rice, sugar, milk and either rice flour, starch or semolina, popular as a dessert in the Middle East. While the dessert is called muhallebi in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, in other countries in the region (Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, and Israel) it is called malabi, mahalabiyeh or mehalabiya.

thumb|Assorted qatayef Qatayef, katayef, atayef or '''qata'if''' ( ) is an Arabic dessert. It is a type of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts, or a filled folded pancake with a thickness similar to a Scottish crumpet.

skewered meat dish

Joshpara is a kind of dumpling popular in Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Middle East. They are made of unleavened wheat dough squares filled with ground meat and condiments.

thumb|right|Za'atar bread Manakish (; singular '''man'ousheh''') is a popular Levantine pastry, consisting of dough topped with za'atar (), cheese (), or ground meat. It can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch.

Mujaddara ( mujaddarah, with alternative spellings in English majadra, mejadra, moujadara, mudardara, and megadarra) is a dish consisting of cooked lentils together with groats, generally rice, and garnished with sautéed onions. It is especially popular in the Levant.

Mulukhiyah (Arabic: ملوخية, romanized: mulūkhiyyah), also known as mulukhiyya , molokhiyya, melokhiyya, molohiya or ewédú, is a type of jute plant and a dish made from the leaves of Corchorus olitorius, commonly known in English as jute, '''Jew's-mallow, nalta jute, or tossa jute'. It is used as a vegetable and is mainly eaten in Egypt, the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Israel), Sudan, Cyprus, Libya, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Algeria. It is called saluyot in the Philippines. Mulukhiyah'' is rather bitter, and when boiled, the resulting liquid is a thick, highly mucilaginous broth;

Harees, haresa, hareesa, arizah, harise, jarish, jareesh, (), harisa (), or korkot () is a dish of boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground cracked wheat or bulgur, mixed with meat and seasoned. Its consistency varies between a porridge and a gruel. Harees is known throughout Armenia where it is served on Easter, and the Arab world, where it is commonly eaten in Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the month of Ramadan, and in Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain during Ashura by Shia Muslims.

Khubz () is the usual word for "bread" in Standard Arabic and in many of the vernaculars. Among the breads popular in Middle Eastern countries are "pocket" pita bread in the Levant and Egypt, and the flat tannur bread in Iraq.

type of bread

Akkawi cheese (, also Akawi, Akawieh and Ackawi) is a white brine cheese named after the Palestinian city of Akka (Acre, present-day Israel).

thumb|right|100px|A small jar of homemade Gulf-style baharat

Freekeh (sometimes spelled frikeh) or farik ( / ALA-LC: farīkah; pronounced free-kah /ˈfɹiːkə/) is a cereal food made from green durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour. It is an ancient dish derived from Levantine and North African cuisines, remaining popular in many countries of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, where durum wheat originated.

Sfiha, esfiha, esfirra, sfija, sfihah, sfeeha or fatay () is a Levantine dish consisting of flatbread cooked with a minced meat topping, often a mix of sheep and veal, and flavored with onions, tomatoes, pine nuts, and spices. It is traditionally found in the countries of the Levant, and is closely related to manakish and lahmacun. Sfiha is particularly associated with Baalbek, a city located in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon.

dish of Levantine cuisine, skewers of marinated chicken pieces

thumb|A Syrian meal, with makdous at the lower left of center. Continuing clockwise are a salad, hummus, haloumi and baba ganouj, with pita bread partially visible at the upper right corner. Makdous ( or sometimes ) is a dish of oil-cured aubergines. Part of Levantine cuisine (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine), they are miniature, tangy eggplants stuffed with walnuts, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Sometimes chilli powder is added.

'''Ka'ak' ( , also transliterated ), is a baked good of varying types produced throughout the Arab world and the Near East. The bread, in Middle Eastern countries, is similar to a dry and hardened biscuit and mostly ring-shaped. A similar pastry called "kue kaak''" is also popular in Indonesia.

Jallab or jellab () is a type of fruit syrup popular in the Levant made from carob, dates, grape molasses, and rose water.

Sirene ( ; /; ; ), also known as "white brine sirene" (), is a type of brined cheese originating from Bulgaria. It is made from the milk of goats, sheep, cows, buffalo or a mixture thereof. It is slightly crumbly, with at least 46–48% of dry matter containing 44–48% of fat. It is commonly produced in blocks, and has a slightly grainy texture. It is used as a table cheese, in salads, and in baking.

Yakhni (, , , , ), yahni (Turkish), or yahniya (, Serbian, ), jahni (Albanian), iahnie (Romanian) is a class of dishes traditionally prepared in a vast area encompassing South Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. Generally, it is a stew of meat and vegetables.

Salad dishes within Arabic cuisine

Fatayer (; ; ) are meat pies that can alternatively be stuffed with spinach or cheese such as feta or akkawi. They are part of Arab and Levantine cuisine and are eaten in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Fatayer are also popular in Argentina, where they are considered a variety of empanada under the name (singular form ), and in Brazil, where they are known as ("closed sfihas", singular form ).

Shanklish ( shanklīsh or shanghlīsh), also known as chancliche, shinklish, shankleesh, sorke, sürke, or eddesh, is a type of cow or sheep milk cheese in Levantine cuisine.

Leblebi (; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a snack made from roasted chickpeas, common and popular in Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria and sometimes seasoned with salt, hot spices, dried cloves, or candy coated.

dish common in the former Ottoman Empire

Fatteh ( meaning crushed or crumbs, also romanized as fette, fetté, fatta or fattah) is a dish eaten in the Arab world consisting of pieces of fresh, toasted, grilled, or fried flatbread covered with other ingredients that vary according to region. It is also some times referred to as shâmiyât ( "Damascene") in the Levant area.

Levantine dish made of raw meat

Turkish sweet bun (çörek) with tahini

milk product

Musabbaḥa (), also known as msabbaḥa, mashausha (), is a runnier variation of hummus made up of whole garbanzo beans and tahini. It is popular in the Levant.

cheese dish fried in oil

snack food

Sayadieh () is a seasoned fish and rice dish from the Middle East, made with cumin and other spices, as well as fried onions. The spice mix is called baharat in Arabic and its preparation varies from cook to cook but may include caraway, cinnamon, cumin and coriander.

Raheb salad (Arabic: سلطة الراهب, romanized: salatat al-raheb), also known as monk's salad, is a Lebanese salad featuring roasted eggplant, tomatoes, onions and parsley. It is a dish served as part of a selection of mezze.

Sfouf () is a Lebanese almond-semolina cake consumed on birthdays, family reunions, and religious holidays. It is made from semolina flour flavored with turmeric, sugar, sesame paste, aniseed, and pine nuts, and raised with baking powder. Unlike basbousa, a similar semolina cake, sfouf is not sweetened with qatir.