10 Amazing Lebanese Foods Everyone Must Try

10 Amazing Lebanese Food & Desserts Everyone Must Try!

Article and photography by Vanessa Daoud

Lebanese food is some of the most delicious and fresh food on the planet.If you come to ask any local about Lebanese food, they will most likely tell you it is one of the best cuisines in the world…and that statement is very much accurate!

I come from a huge Lebanese family, where food is a main part of every gathering and it brings the whole family together, no matter what the occasion might be. If you have the chance to visit Lebanon, or if you’re thinking of trying the new Lebanese restaurant in your area, here are 10 Lebanese foods you must try!

Kibbe Nayeh

Feeling a little adventurous? Then you need to try Kibbe Nayeh!

Kibbe Nayeh is made from raw beef (yeah, you read that right. It’s raw beef!), blended with onion, spices and bulgur wheat, which is a wheat grain you will also normally find in Tabouli Salad.

This dish is best served with Lebanese flat pita bread and fresh veggies!

Tabouli

Oooh how I love Tabouli!

This popular Lebanese dish, made with parsley, tomatoes, onions & a bunch of other yummy ingredients, is the perfect addition to a Lebanese feast!

Served with pieces of lettuce on the side, you can eat Tabbouli on its own, as a side with some delicious BBQ’d shish tawook (we will get to that later on!), or even in a wrap with some Kibbe Nayeh!

Fattoush is another traditional Lebanese salad which includes fried pieces of Lebanese bread, mixed in with a dressing of pomegranate molasses!

Fattoush

The bread is cut into bitesize pieces mixed in with a variety of vegetables such as lettuce, radish, crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and onions! Fattoush is a Lebanese delicacy! This dish will have you wondering why you ever wasted your time eating other plain salads.

What could be better than deep fried balls of deliciousness?

Falafel is basically deep fried chickpea fritters, served with some tahini sauce and lots of fresh veggies!

All around the world, Falafel is most commonly enjoyed wrapped in Lebanese pita flatbread sandwiches, filled up with fresh vegetables, and coated with a delicious tahini sauce.

Hommus

This internationally popular dip is made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. It is one of the best (and healthiest!) dips in the world!

Across the world, people love hommus for its deliciously tangy flavour, and for the fact that it is filled with many nutrients.

When served, it is dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and is used as a dip for vegetables, Lebanese pita flat bread, and even fried Lebanese bread!

Lebanese mixed plate including Shish Tawook, Kafta & Lamb Skewers

Shish Tawook

These chicken kebabs are a must try! What makes this so delicious are the many different spices, which gives the chicken a juicy and tender taste.

Shish Tawook is usually marinated overnight in lemon juice, garlic, paprika, yoghurt and tomato paste, and once cooked on the BBQ, it’s served with a delicious garlic paste or dip called Toum!

You can eat Shish Tawook in a Lebanese pita flatbread wrap with some Tabouli and Toum, or even Hommus!

Kafta

Kafta is minced meat blended with parsley, onions and many spices, then cooked on the BBQ.

This famous Lebanese food can be served in many different ways!

You can find them served on their own with a Toum or Hommus dip to side, or even in an oven-baked tomato paste & potato dish named ‘Kafta bi-saynieh”.

This Lebanese delicacy is made from a cheese pastry, topped with some crushed pistachios and served with a side of sugar syrup.

This delicious dish can be served in a million different ways, depending on how its made. It can be served as a breakfast or as a dessert.

When placed on bread, it can be a sandwich for breakfast, and when placed in a plate sided with some syrup, it is a yummy dessert!

Aish El-Saraya

Aish El-Saraya is an appetising dessert eaten on special occasions.

It is sweetened bread, drizzled with very sweet sugar syrup, and covered with a delicious cream on top, garnished with some blended pistachios!

Baklava

A delicious pastry made from layers of filo dough, honey and assorted nuts.

This is a crunchy pastry dessert usually served in small, bite-sized pieces.

Baklava is probably one of the most sweet desserts you will ever taste, as it is filled with butter and sugar throughout!