Lebanese food is among the most popular Arab cuisines worldwide. Packed with fresh and healthy ingredients, Lebanese food includes whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and all kinds of meat and seafood.
From the populous tabbouleh and Hummus to the least known Mujdara. This guide will introduce all the worth-trying Lebanese dishes.
Kibbeh is Lebanon’s national dish and one of my favorite foods to try in Lebanon.
Kibbeh is a hearty ball of spiced mince and bulgur (a type of rice). Traditionally, the spiced ground meat is mixed with bulgur, onions, nuts, and Lebanese spices, formed into small balls, and fired.
Kibbeh is also a staple in many other Middle Western cuisine such as Turkish cuisine. In Lebanon only, there are many types of Kibbeh that vary from one region to another but they all share the unbeatable taste.
With all the good flavors in just one hell of a bite, Kibbe is certainly a must-taste Lebanese food.
This refreshing and delicious salad is somehow a famous Lebanese food in many countries worldwide.
Tabbouleh salad is made of fresh parsley and mint, a handful of bulgur seeds, chopped tomatoes, onions, and a mizzle of lemon juice and olive oil.
This simple mix of ingredients makes the most delicious and refreshing salad during long hot days. Tabbouleh is usually served alongside main dishes with other mezze like Hummus but it can be also served alone with some freshly baked bread.
If you want to make this Lebanese dish at home and don’t have Bulgur, you can replace it with Quinoa. It’s super tasty!
Manaqish is one of the popular and favorite local Lebanese foods. Think of it as Lebanon’s special pizza.
Manaqish is a flatbread seasoned with thyme, sesame seeds, and olive oil. Not your favorite? There are other Manaqish variations that can be topped with cheese, meat mix, fresh vegetables, Labneh, and yogurt.
Locals like to have it for breakfast but I think you can enjoy it all day long. Manaqish is widely available across all bakeries and restaurants in Lebanon.
Falafel is Lebanon’s most popular street food.
Found in both Turkish and Egyptian cuisines, Falafel is balls of deep-fried fava bean ground. The fava bean ground is flavored with spices. Other variations can be found such as Chickpeas falafel.
Falafel is usually served with Arabic bread (Pita bread), Hummus, and Tahini. The best way to enjoy it is to roll it into pita bread along with some Tabbouleh, Hummus, and Tahini. Yummy!
If you are vegan or vegetarian Falafel is a super nutritious Lebanese food that will keep you full and warm.
Hummus is the most common and beloved dip in Lebanese cuisine.
Hummus is made with cooked chickpeas, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. It’s usually served as a mezze with other Lebanese dishes including Falafel and Kibbeh. My favorite way of enjoying Hummus is scooping it with some fresh carrot sticks.
There are other varieties of Hummus in Lebanon some of them include meat and onions or other types of vegetables but the authentic Hummus recipe stays the most favored Lebanese dish.
Loved by many people around the world, Warak Enab or (known as Dolma in Turkey) is an important part of the Lebanese cooking traditions.
Wrak Enab consists of a mixture of spiced ground meat, rice, onions, and many other traditional spices and herbs. The ground meat mixture is then wrapped in grape leaves and stewed. It’s commonly served as mezze both cold and hot.
Warak Enab is spread all across the Middle East making this dish one of the most popular Lebanese foods.
Lebanon is known for so many great dishes, however, Kibbeh takes the spotlight. Kibbeh is Lebanon’s national dish that’s why make sure to have enough of this special treat when you visit Lebanon. Also, don’t forget to ask about the authentic recipe so you can make it when you are back home.
There are hundreds if not thousands of authentic Lebanese foods but we can’t cover them all here. However, Lebanon is really famous for many dishes including Kibbeh, Warak Enab, Hummus dip, Falafel, and many more.
Lebanese is so delicious and healthy that you want to make it at home. That’s why I looked up some great Lebanese cooking books to help you cook authentic Lebanese food:
Lebanese food is also popular on social media. With many travelers sharing their experience with the food in Lebanon you can easily get a glimpse of this rich cuisine on Instagram or any other social media platform. To do that just check the Lebanese food-related tags on social media.
The hashtag #lebanesefood on Instagram has more than 1M posts with many sharing their favorite Lebanese foods. Also, the #lebanesefoodies tag has more than 122k post shares.
Enjoy but don’t waste too much time on social media : )
