Mezze
Oh, to feast at the legendary table of Fakhreddine in Amman during a balmy spring evening, or to pick at the dishes laid out at Madaba's Haret Al Jdoudna in the sultry heat of a summer lunchtime! But nothing compares to the huge, groaning tables of mezze that adorn Beirut's serious eateries...
The Levant has a cuisine that is utterly unique and much of the experience is down to the mezze, a meal of many delights that mixes salads, dips and little hot things into a huge communal dipping session. Experienced hands know very well that the mezze is invariably followed by a huge course of grilled meats and therefore not to overdo the mezze. And then they completely lose the run of themselves and do just that.
The mezze is eaten either by reaching over and swooping a cunningly curved piece of bread into the dainty or by taking the whole dish and transferring some to the plate in front of you using the nearest knife, fork, spoon or thing. There's little etiquette and no formality: it's the most social way to eat since the dope fondue.
Salads
- Fatoush - the traditional mezze salad
Dips
In restaurants, these are eaten with fresh Arabic bread, each piece puffed up into a ball and piping hot from the oven, pierced and collapsing with a wheeze of steam, then dipped into the bowls. Flat rounds of Arabic bread fresh or toasted are also good.
Bits and bobs
Fatayer, or finger foods. There are a range of traditional bits and bobs that go with a mezze, from crunchy, soft-centered cheese sambusek (samosas), through fried kibbeh to little hot sausages, spicy with sumak.
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