Slow Food Beirut Local Recipes

Local Recipes

Classic recipes are on the verge of dying out due to the pressures of modern family life and the threat of globalization with the rise of industrial foods. Preserving, protecting and promoting traditional knowledge is imperative. Slow Food Beirut seeks out traditional recipes to keep them alive in order to protect them. Traditional cuisine and recipes are an integral part of our Lebanese culture. Local small scale food producers, farmers, chefs and home cooks are the custodians of these traditions and help us connect with tradition and typical local cuisine. We aim to protect this important resource to ensure that they are preserved for the future and handed down from generation to generation.

Tabbouleh

Mezze, Salad, Vegetarian

Let it be said here and now, the main ingredient in tabbouleh is PARSLEY. I feel better now. No parsley, no tabbouleh! Grain salads that pretend to be tabbouleh are simply an insult to the real thing.

Makhlouta

Grains, Vegetarian

Makhlouta is a traditional mountain stew. It comes from ‘khalet’ (mixture). It was cooked with all available grains in the pantry (mouneh).

Burghul with Eggplant and Tomato

Pantry, Vegetarian

Called burghul bi banadoura in Arabic, this popular, hearty dish, made with eggplant or zucchini, is a staple of kitchens in Lebanon and Syria.

Kishk Turnover

Pantry, Vegetarian

Kishk is a typical villager breakfast par excellence, often served as a soup, cooked with awarma or seasoned with fried onion and garlic. It is made with goat or cows’ milk, sometimes sheep’s milk is added when available. In Lebanon, kishk production varies from one region to another.

Water Parsnip Turnovers

Starters

Water parsnips are high in iron and in iodine, and are believed to to be effective in the treatment of inflammation as well as in the prevention of kidney stones.

Purslane Turnovers

Starters

Purslane is a common vegetable in Lebanon. The leaves of the purslane are used in the famous peasant salad -‘fatoush’.

Swiss Chard Omelette

Starters

1 cup of Swiss chard contains 4 mg of iron. which makes it a significant source of iron, particularly for vegetarians.

Fennel Omelette

Starters

Region Kuakh

Whole Wheat with Yogurt

Starters

Chickpeas are a low-fat source of protein and soluble fiber. Fit promotes a feeling of fullness by slowing the movement of food through the upper digestive tract.

Corn with Yogurt

Starters

Peak bone mass develops during youth, which explains the increased recommended calcium intake during this stage. Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium.