Additional fruits and vegetables are imported from nearby countries and Europe to further increase the variety available to Lebanese cooks. Such imported delicacies as avocados, Belgian endives, pineapples and coconuts appear with seasonal regularity. Beirut shops stock a wider selection of canned and packaged foods than one usually finds in most grocery shops in Europe and America. The fine lamb and mutton raised in the Middle East is the favorite meat of the people. It is plentiful and not as expensive as beef.
Many kinds of fish are available to coastal dwellers.
The main cereals are rice and cracked wheat, called burghul. Potatoes are consumed in quantity. The Arab cuisine depends to a great extent on oil. Food is cooked in it or dressed with it for serving. The choice of cooking fat often identifies the country from which the recipe originates.