Traditional dishes the mezze (lavish hors-d'oeuvres) and excellent seafood. Lebanese wines stand international comparison. Lebanese food is well known for its quality and variety.
A typical meal will begin with a selection of mezze dishes including homous (chickpea puree with lemon and sesame seed paste), moutabal (meatballs), kibbe (fresh lamb pounded with ground wheat and seasoned with onion, mint, salt and pepper) and olives, feta cheese, local sausage and spinach pastries.
Normally eaten by hand, mezze is accompanied by unleavened bread, and is served with arak (brewed from grapes and anise, arak is customarily served into a glass first and is accompanied by ice and water onions, fresh mint, cucumbers and tomatoes.
This is followed by a main dish of meat (chicken, mutton or fish), a salad and desert. Main dishes kafta meshwiyye (spiced lamb sausage kebabs), shish kabab (lamb kebabs), sayadieh (grilled fish with almonds and pine nuts) and samak tajen bi tahini (fish baked in sesame seed oil).Coffee is an important Lebanese tradition. It is normally ordered according to the amount of sugar required: sweet (helweh), medium (wassat) or bitter (murr). Coffee is either Turkish or Bedouin style - strong and thick.