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A Taste Of Lebanon; The Mezze
Post Entry #9 | 6-19-09
This month we explore the food and culture of a country in the Eastern Mediterranean region with a long and rich history; a land that's been
a crossroads in many ways between East and West for centuries. The result, when speaking of food, is a
combination of the sophistication and subtleties of
European cuisines with the exotic ingredients of the Middle and Far East for a truly unique culmination of tastes.
With the shores of the Mediterranean to it's west, Israel to it's south, and Syria to it's north and east,
we today look into the cuisine and culture of Lebanon.
Lebanese food is becoming to be more well known internationally every day now with it's cuisine widely regarded as one of the world's most healthy ones. Healthy can be delicious and the Lebanese have known this and been proving it for many years, the rest of the world is finally catching up. Included within it may be the best parts of the highly touted Mediterranean diet. This cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats (read beef) are consumed sparingly. Some common ingredients are lamb, chickpeas, eggplant, yoghurt, garlic, mint and olive oil. The cuisine is similar to that of other Middle Eastern countries, but has also been influenced by French and Turkish cooking, with specialties all it's own. You'll also find that different regions of the country may have their own versions of certain dishes with their own ingredients, spices, methods or recipes.
Our family here at Theo's is of Lebanese descent as well so it's with a personal touch of experience and pride that we enjoy sharing this part of our culture with you all. We've just recently added a few Lebanese items as appetizers to our menu here at Theos for you to discover and the response has been simply overwhelming. You're loving it, and we love to share. So we thought you may also enjoy learning a little more about the cuisine and culture. With so much ground to cover, we'll focus in on one aspect of it today, the period before the main meal. This ties in with what we are currently offering here.
The Mezze
In Lebanon, food and social functions go hand in hand. It's with food that we often show our generosity and hospitality. One of these times is before the main meal as traditional Lebanese meals begin with what is called the mezze, a selection of hot and cold starters laid out accompanied with drinks. These beverages can, but don't have to be, alcoholic ones. When they are, the Greeks have their ouzo, The Turks their raki, and we have our arak; all anise-flavored liqueurs. Wine is also poured with a mezze, of course, as well. Like many other cultures it is an enjoyable, leisurely time of relaxation over food and drink with congenial conversation flowing. Besides Lebanon, the mezze is also enjoyed in Jordan, Isreal, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus among other countries. Some things are just universal. The Mezze can be thought of as an important part of the Lebanese social life.
We keep it simple at Theos for the moment to give you a taste, but there can be many items brought out for the mezze and there is traditionally a set pattern. Sometimes a mezze can be a meal in it's own right. The dishes arrive to the table 4 to 5 at a time. Typically olives, tahini, salad and yoghurt will be followed by dishes with vegetables and eggs, then small meat or fish dishes alongside special accompaniments. Last of all then, more substantial dishes such as whole fish or meat stews and grills are presented. You'll also find that different establishments may offer different dishes, perhaps their own specialties, but the pattern remains the same. Since there may be a lot of food you're not expected to finish it all, and people eat it together, serving each other, etc.
We've brought several of these items to our menu and we invite you to try them for yourselves today. Enjoy salads like Fattoush or Tabbouleh or Baba Ghannouj; a spread made with eggplant. Another current big hit is also a dish we call the Delmades; stuffed grapeleaves rolled up with lamb, beef, mint, lemon and yoghurt dipping sauce. We like to make these in batches of up to 50 at a time. Another great feature of Lebanese food, though it is time intensive to prepare, is that it stores well. And last but not least you can find Hummus as well which is a chick pea puree. Enjoyable anytime, these items are especially great right now in the summer time with their light and refreshing tastes. We invite those of you yet who have not had the pleasure to sample these dishes to discover for yourself something that may be slightly off the radar but something not to be missed. There aren't many places in the area where you can get this and we present a taste of Lebanon with pride. Hopefully you can discover soon how delicious these dishes can be.
