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Lebanese Cuisine
Lebanese cuisine is the culinary traditions and practices originating from Lebanon. It includes an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten, it is usually lamb and goat meat. Dishes include copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, and dishes are often seasoned with lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples of the Lebanese diet. Well-known dishes include '' baba ghanouj'', '' tabbouleh'', '' sfeeha'', ''falafel'' and '' shawarma''. An important component of many Lebanese meals is ''hummus'', a chickpea puree dish, and many dishes are eaten with flatbread. Well-known desserts include ''baklawa'', '' sfouf'' and '' ka'ak''. Some desserts are specifically prepared on special occasions; for example, '' meghli'' (rice pudding dessert, spiced with anise, caraway, and cinnamon) is served to celebrate a newborn baby in the family. '' Arak'' is an anise-flavoured liquor, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Middle East. Lebanon is home to roughly six million people and covers an area of , making it the second smallest country in continental Asia. The official language of the state is Arabic, while French is also formally recognized; the Lebanese dialect of Arabic is used alongside Modern Standard Arabic throughout the country. The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back over 7000 years, predating recorded history. Modern-day Lebanon was home to the Phoenicians, a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Falafel
Falafel (; ar, فلافل, ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, samoon, or wrapped in a flatbread known as taboon; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray (assortment of appetizers). Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East and is a common street food. Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egypt, where it most likely originated, and with chickpeas in the Levant, Iraq and Bahrain. It is popular with vegetarians worldwide. Etymology The word ( ar, فلافل) is of Arabic origin and is the plural of ' () 'pepper', borrowed f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arak (distilled Beverage)
Arak or araq ( ar, ﻋﺮﻕ) is a distilled Levantine spirit of the anise drinks family. It is translucent and unsweetened. History Arak evolved from the Arab invention of alembic distillation in the 12th century. As the vast majority of Arabs were Muslim at that time, the original usage of the distilled alcohol might have been for the production of perfumes and kohl, a cosmetic. However, the distribution of arak and its derivatives – ranging from rakija in the Balkans to arrack in Indonesia and Malaysia – closely follows the pattern of the Arab-Islamic conquests, and in each of these locales the distilled alcohol is used as a beverage. Traditional ingredients Arak is traditionally made of only two ingredients, grapes and aniseed. Aniseeds are the seeds of the anise plant, and when crushed, their oil provides arak with a slight licorice taste. Etymology The word ''arak'' comes from Arabic ' (, meaning 'perspiration'). Its pronunciation varies depending on loc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snack foods, bagels, teas, and traditional foods. The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents including eugenol. Cinnamon is the name for several species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus ''Cinnamomum'' in the family Lauraceae. Only a few ''Cinnamomum'' species are grown commercially for spice. ''Cinnamomum verum'' (AKA ''C. zeylanicum''), known as "Ceylon cinnamon" after its origins in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), is considered to be "true cinnamon", but most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from four other species, usually and more correctly refe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caraway
Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been called by many names in different regions, with names deriving from the Latin ''cuminum'' ( cumin), the Greek ''karon'' (again, cumin), which was adapted into Latin as ''carum'' (now meaning caraway), and the Sanskrit ''karavi'', sometimes translated as "caraway", but other times understood to mean "fennel".Katzer's Spice PagesCaraway Caraway (''Carum carvi'' L.)/ref> English use of the term caraway dates to at least 1440, possibly having Arabic origin.Walter William Skeat, Principles of English Etymology, Volume 2, page 319. 189Words of Arabic Origin/ref> Description The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on stems. The main flow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anise
Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and tarragon. It is widely cultivated and used to flavor food, candy, and alcoholic drinks, especially around the Mediterranean. Description Anise is an herbaceous annual plant growing to or more. The leaves at the base of the plant are simple, long and shallowly lobed, while leaves higher on the stems are feathery pinnate, divided into numerous small leaflets. The flowers are either white or yellow, approximately in diameter, produced in dense umbels. The fruit is an oblong dry schizocarp, long, usually called "aniseed".Anise (''Pimpinella anisum'' L.) from Gernot Katze ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar. Such desserts are found on many continents, especially Asia where rice is a staple. Some variants are thickened only with the rice starch; others include eggs, making them a kind of custard. Rice pudding around the world Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of pudding vary depending on preparation methods and the selected ingredients. The following ingredients are usually found in rice puddings: * rice; white rice (usually short-grain, but can also be long-grain, broken rice, basmati, or jasmine rice), brown rice, or black rice * milk (whole milk, coconut milk, cream or evaporated) * spices (cardam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meghli
Meghli, moghli, meghleh, ( ar, مغلي), or karawiyah, is a Levantine dessert based on a floured rice pudding and spiced with anise, caraway, and cinnamon. The dish is often garnished with dried coconut flakes and various nuts including almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios. Meghli is commonly served to celebrate the birth of a child.Kamal MouzawakMerry Meghli!, Poetry of Food, poetryoffood.com, retrieved 3-7-2010 Name The name 'meghli' means “boiled” in Arabic, referring to the long time (up to an hour) it must be continuously stirred while boiling.Anissa Helou, Lebanese Cuisine: More Than 250 Authentic Recipes From The Most Elegant Middle Eastern Cuisine, St. Martin's Griffin (June 15, 1998), pg 241 Celebrations The dish was traditionally served to celebrate the birth of a male heir, but has now become a dessert to celebrate any newborn. The caraway is thought to assist the new mother in lactating and reduces bloating. Meghli is also served during the Christmas holid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ka'ak
''Ka'ak'' ( ar, كعك, also transliterated ''kaak'') or ''kahqa'' is the common Arabic word for biscuit, and can refer to several different types of baked goods produced throughout the Arab world and the Near East. The bread, in Middle Eastern countries, is similar to a dry and hardened biscuit and mostly ring-shaped. Similar pastry, called "''kue kaak''", is also popular in Indonesia. History ''Ka'ak'' is first attested to in the Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, which originates from Syria in the 13th century. The Kitab al Wusla il al Habib gives three recipes for Ka'ak. Variations Bread rings Ka'ak can refer to a bread commonly consumed throughout the Near East that is made in a large ring-shape and is covered with sesame seeds. Fermented chickpeas are used as a leavening agent. Widely sold by street vendors, it is usually eaten as a snack or for breakfast with za'atar. In East Jerusalem, it is sometimes served alongside oven-baked eggs and falafel. Palestinians from Hebro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sfouf
Sfouf is a Lebanese almond-semolina cake consumed on birthdays, family reunions, and religious holidays. It is made from semolina flour flavored with turmeric, sugar, sesame paste, aniseed, and pine nuts, and raised with baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas .... References {{Arab-cuisine-stub Arab cuisine Lebanese cuisine Cakes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baklava
Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of the dish is unknown, but, in modern times, it is a common dessert of Turkish, Iranian and Arab cuisines, and other countries of the Levant and Maghreb, along with the South Caucasus, Balkans, and Central Asia. Etymology The word ''baklava'' is first attested in English in 1650, a borrowing from ota, باقلاوه . The name baklava is used in many languages with minor phonetic and spelling variations. Historian Paul D. Buell argues that the word "baklava" may come from the Mongolian root ' 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the Turkic verbal ending ''-v''; baγla- itself in Mongolian is a Turkic loanword. Sevan Nişanyan considers its oldest known forms (pre-1500) to be ''baklağı'' and ''baklağu'', and labels it as being of Pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flatbread
A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads range from below one millimeter to a few centimeters thick so that they can be easily eaten without being sliced. They can be baked in an oven, fried in hot oil, grilled over hot coals, cooked on a hot pan, tava, comal, or metal griddle, and eaten fresh or packaged and frozen for later use. History Flatbreads were amongst the earliest processed foods, and evidence of their production has been found at ancient sites in Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and the Indus civilization. In 2018, charred bread crumbs were found at a Natufian site called Shubayqa 1 in Jordan (in Harrat ash Shaam, the Black Desert) dating to 12,400 BC, some 4,000 years before the start of agriculture in the region. Analysis showed that they were probably from flatbread cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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