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The Lebanese cuisine is a cuisine of the sun and a cuisine from the heart. Its colors reflect the 1001 sunny Lebanese landscapes, and its diversity evokes the abundant Lebanese generosity and hospitality.

The breakfast is usually consists of mana'eesh which looks like a folded pizza, most common toppings are zaatar (a mixture of thyme, olive oil sesame seeds), jebneh (cheese) and lahm bi ajin (minced meat).

Another traditional breakfast food is knefeh; a special kind of breaded cheese that is served with a simple syrup in a sesame seed bread. It is also served as dessert, but somehow it tastes better in the morning; it is also extremely filling!

A typical Lebanese meal consists of a few mezze dishes (hors d’oeuvres) that include any combination of green peppers, cucumbers, radishes, scallions, olives, pickles, hummus (mashed chick peas), baba ghanoush (made of eggplant) and fuzzy raw almonds. A main dish of meat, chicken or fish is usually served with rice, a salad and a dessert. Breads or pitas are two kinds - the common flat type and marqouk or mountain bread.

The two most favorite dishes are the national dish of Tabbouleh, made with parsley, burghul (cracked wheat), onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and spices. Fattoush is a salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber with small pieces of toasted pita mixed in to soak up the dressing. There is also the Mujeddra or lentil stew cooked with sauted onions and spices, and Kibbeh nayé, or raw beef and spices, whipped into a dip and eaten with pita.

Must haves include Lebanese barbeque such as shish tawouk (barbequed chicken) - usually consumed with garlic, lahm mishwe (barbequed meat), and kafta (barbequed seasoned minced meat).

Lebanese meals conclude with either fruits or sweets. Lebanon is also very famous for its Arabic sweets which can be found at leading restaurants. The city of Tripoli, however, is THE city for Lebanese sweets. Many critics refer to it as the "Sweet Capital" of Lebanon, the Hallab sweets is the place to visit when making a trip to Tripoli.

"Lebanese fast food" is also available as sandwiches offered in roadside shops, such as shawarma sandwiches (known in other countries as doner - or gyros in greece. Shawarma, as opposed to doner is seasoned with tarator sauce based on sesame oil, vegetables and is rolled in Lebanese thin bread.

Drinks:

The Arak, an anise-flavored liqueur, is the National Lebanese alcoholic drink and is usually served with the traditional convivial Lebanese meals. Another Lebanese drink, which is worth savoring, is the Lebanese wine, which is now enjoying a worldwide reputation. While the non-alcoholic drink that is popular is Jellab, raisin syrup served with pine nuts.
When you are invited, the first thing you will get is cup of coffee. The Arab coffee is a very strong, sweet coffee without milk. Often you will find a spice (named cardamom) added, which gives the coffee a better flavour.