Lebanese cuisine is an inexpensive delight. Using fresh and flavoursome ingredients and refined spicing, the Lebanese have taken the best aspects of Turkish and Arabic cooking and given them a French spin. A typical meal consists of a few mezze dishes, such as spinach pies, dips, dried cheese, pizza and stuffed vine leaves. The national dish is kibbe , a finely minced paste of lamb and bulgur wheat, sometimes served raw, but more often fried or baked into a pie. Meals are rounded off with syrupy baklava pastries or other semolina and walnut based desserts.
Arabic coffee is very popular.
Soft drinks include jellab , a delicious drink made from raisins and served with pine nuts, and ayran , a yoghurt drink. Lonely Planet Publications Pty. Ltd. All rights reserved.