Lebanese cuisine

[7][8][9] A plate of veggies with tomatoes, cucumber, mint, olives and pickles is always served on table, and a plat of fruits at the end of the meal with a Lebanese coffee.

Many dishes in Lebanese cuisine can be traced back thousands of years to eras of Phoenician, Persian, Egyptian, Neo-Babylonian, Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman rule.

From 1516 to 1918, the Ottoman Turks controlled Lebanon and introduced a variety of foods that have become staples in the Lebanese diet, such as cooking with lamb.

After the Ottomans were defeated in World War I (1914–1918), France took control of Lebanon until 1943, when the country achieved its independence.

[23] It has also served both as a source of identity and income for the diaspora across the world,[24] and as an investment opportunity for individuals and corporations wanting to expand and go global.

[25] Most often, foods are grilled, baked or lightly cooked in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used other than in a few desserts.

[33] Family cuisine also offers a range of dishes, such as stews (yakhneh) which can be cooked in many forms depending on the ingredients used, are usually made with meat or chicken and served with rice.

[34][35] Although simple fresh fruits are often served towards the end of a Lebanese meal, there is also dessert, such as baklava and coffee.

Unlike regular yogurt, labneh is strained so as to remove the watery whey, leaving a thicker, creamier consistency.

Being located in the Levant, vegetables and herbs (wild or cultivated) are abundant in the fertile landscape and serve as a main base of the cuisine.

[73] For Lebanese Christians, including Catholic (Maronites and Melkites) and Orthodox, fasting from meat is practiced over the Lenten period (from midnight to noon) during Easter.

[74] Lebanese meat dishes are usually made with chicken or lamb or beef, though pork is also eaten (albeit not as widely, due to Islamic dietary laws).