- Direct from the grower
- Freshly shipped
- Quick delivery & pick-up point
- Spicy support
Lebanon is located in the Middle East, right on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It's famous for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and especially its amazing cuisine. Lebanese food is a real culinary treasure, known for using fresh herbs, vibrant flavors, and colorful dishes.
Lebanese cuisine really shows off the diverse influences from all the cultures and civilizations that have passed through the region over the centuries, like Arabic, Ottoman, Persian, and French. The result? A super unique blend of flavors and recipes that make Lebanese food so rich and special.
Famous Lebanese dishes like hummus, tabouleh, baba ganoush, falafel, kibbeh, and shawarma aren't just popular in Lebanon – they're enjoyed all over the world!
Lebanese cuisine is famous for using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, bell peppers, and herbs such as mint, parsley, cilantro, dill, and sumac play a central role in many dishes.
Olive oil is a must-have in Lebanese cooking and is used generously in salads, sauces, and grilled dishes. Lebanon is famous for its high-quality olive oil, which gives dishes a delicious flavor and texture.
Chickpeas and lentils are super nutritious legumes that you'll find in lots of dishes. From creamy hummus to hearty stews, they add amazing texture, protein, and nutrients to all sorts of meals.
Pomegranate is a favorite ingredient, thanks to its complex sweet-sour taste, adding a refreshing zing to salads and dips. They also make pomegranate molasses from it, which is basically reduced pomegranate juice. This is then used for marinades, gravies, and dressings.
Grilled meats like kebabs, kofta, and shawarma are super popular in Lebanese cuisine and often come with salads and sauces. The meat is seasoned with herbs and spices, making it wonderfully flavorful and tender.
In Lebanese cooking, tahini is a really important ingredient. It's a paste made from sesame seeds, and it's often mixed with lemon juice, garlic, and water to make a delicious sauce. Yogurt is also used a lot in sauces and dips, and it's the base for dishes like Labneh, which is a thick, yogurt-like cheese.
In Lebanese cuisine, chili peppers are super important for flavor and spice. They use all sorts of peppers, varying in taste, heat, and size. For example, there's the famous Aleppo pepper, which has a mild kick and a fruity flavor. It's almost raisin-like, with hints of citrus and cumin, and you could best compare it to the Ancho pepper. The Aleppo pepper is just a bit saltier, though, because of how it's dried. And you'll also find the spicier Rawit / bird’s eye chili, which brings a sharper, more powerful heat.
Besides fresh peppers, dishes also get their flavor from herbs and sauces. Za'atar is a traditional Lebanese spice blend, often containing dried sumac, sesame seeds, dried thyme and oregano, and ground chili peppers. This mix is often used to season bread, dips, and meat dishes, giving them a spicy and aromatic flavor.
A spicy sauce that's used a lot is Harissa. Even though it's originally from North Africa, it's used in many Lebanese dishes as a flavor enhancer and dipping sauce. Harissa is a spicy paste made from (dried) peppers, garlic, herbs, and olive oil, and it's often served as a side dish with grilled meat, vegetables, or as a flavor boost in stews and soups.
In Lebanese cuisine, mezze is super important! Sharing these small dishes creates a wonderful social and culinary experience. Mezze comes from the Arabic word “mazza,” meaning taste or enjoyment. These dishes are packed with different flavors, textures, and aromas, really showing off the amazing diversity of Lebanese food.
Mezze includes all sorts of hot and cold little dishes, from dips and salads to grilled veggies, meat, and fish. It's often served at the start of a meal to get your appetite going and tantalize your taste buds. Plus, mezze is also a great light meal on its own, especially for casual get-togethers and celebrations.
What makes mezze truly special isn't just the variety of dishes, but also the wonderful way it brings people together to share and gather around the table. It's perfect for conversations, swapping stories, and simply enjoying each other's company.
Some popular mezze dishes you'll find in Lebanese cuisine include hummus (chickpea dip), baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip), tabouleh (herby bulgur salad), falafel (chickpea balls), kibbeh (stuffed meatballs), fattoush (a salad with tomatoes, cucumber, toasted bread, and herbs), warak enab (stuffed grape leaves), and various kinds of grilled meats and fish.
Samke harra is a delicious Lebanese dish of baked spiced cod drizzled with tahini sauce. It's a spicy, flavorful fish, which is where the name 'harra' comes from, meaning spicy in Arabic.
Mujadara is a simple and nutritious dish made from lentils and rice, topped with fried onions.
Kousa Mahshi is a dish of stuffed zucchini with a mixture of rice, minced meat, and herbs, often cooked in a tomato sauce.
Lebanese desserts are super rich in flavor and sweetness, often made with dates or nuts, syrup, and honey. A famous Lebanese dessert is knafeh (or künefe). It's made by baking strands of phyllo dough (kaitafi) until crispy in a mix of butter, milk, and mozzarella. Then, it's drenched in orange blossom sugar syrup and topped with pistachios. Other popular desserts include ma’moul (stuffed cookies with dates or nuts), awamat (crispy Lebanese donut balls covered in syrup), and stouf (a traditional Lebanese turmeric cake).
Baklava
There's quite a bit of mystery surrounding the origin and invention of Baklava, with various countries in the Middle East and the Balkans claiming to have created the dish. One theory suggests that the Assyrians in Mesopotamia made the first baklava around the 8th century BC.
Every culture in the region has its own special version, and the Lebanese are no exception! Lebanese baklava is sweet, made with phyllo dough and walnuts, and drizzled with a syrup called 'ater'. This simple syrup is made with rose water and orange blossom water.
In Lebanon, the idea of mezze is more than just about food. You'll often be offered a welcome drink, usually black tea or coffee served in a small glass. This can vary from different tea flavors, cappuccino, espresso, or Turkish coffee.
You'll also find many refreshing drinks like Sharab Ward (a Lebanese rosewater drink), Limonana (Middle Eastern lemonade with lemon, ginger, and mint), and Ayran (a traditional yogurt drink).
Even though it's legal to drink alcohol in Lebanon, it's mainly consumed in cities and by the Christian population. Muslims often don't drink alcohol, and the further you go into the countryside, the less alcohol you'll find on menus. When alcohol is consumed, it's often Arak (an anise-flavored liqueur) or wine. And since wine has been made in Lebanon for over five thousand years – longer than in many European countries – they really know their stuff! The result is incredibly delicious wine.
Hisham Assaad
Merijn Tol
Merijn Tol
Maureen Abood
English
Salma Hage
Madelain Farah & Leila Kirske
English
Utrecht
Purmerend
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Rotterdam
Paris
The Hague
Enschede
Antwerp
Netflix
Lebanon
NPO
Spotify/website
| Monday | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | from 8:00 to 12:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Burg. Crezeelaan 44A
2678 KZ De Lier
© Westlandpeppers | Webshop by Buro Staal
Our webshop will be closed this coming Friday. Orders placed after 9:30 AM on Thursday, July 31st, will be processed and shipped again on Monday. Thanks for your understanding!
