Lebanon: Difference between revisions

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|Introduction=Vegan diets are less known in Lebanon than in some European countries. Despite that it's very easy to please a vegan's gums and satisfy their appetite given the pleasures of the famous Lebanese cuisine and the openness and dedication of restaurant and shop owners who usually will make sure that your concerns are taken care of. Fresh fruit and vegetables, a lot of it locally grown, abound all year.
|Introduction=Vegan diets are less known in Lebanon than in some European countries. Despite that it's very easy to please a vegan's gums and satisfy their appetite given the pleasures of the famous Lebanese cuisine and the openness and dedication of restaurant and shop owners who usually will make sure that your concerns are taken care of. Fresh fruit and vegetables, a lot of it locally grown, abound all year.
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== City and town guides ==
== City and town guides ==



Revision as of 02:05, 10 May 2015

Vegan diets are less known in Lebanon than in some European countries. Despite that it's very easy to please a vegan's gums and satisfy their appetite given the pleasures of the famous Lebanese cuisine and the openness and dedication of restaurant and shop owners who usually will make sure that your concerns are taken care of. Fresh fruit and vegetables, a lot of it locally grown, abound all year.

Lebanon

{{#ask:In country::Lebanon}}

add a new place in Lebanon?

City and town guides

Beirut

Kfar Qatra

Sidon


Resources and links

One way to get in touch with Lebanese Vegans are those Facebook groups. There you can not only find support and find out about the most recent vegan products, but you can also find friends.

Lebanese Vegans Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721673044725050

Lebanese Vegan Society on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508612652528179/

Lebanese Vegetarians and Vegans Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/282925728539418


A culinary introduction for vegan and other vegetarian visitors

Vegan diets are less known in Lebanon than in some Western European countries. Despite that it's very easy to please a vegan's gums and satisfy their appetite given the pleasures of the famous Lebanese cuisine and the openness and dedication of restaurant and shop owners.

You will soon find out that your enquiries about vegan food will be met with openness and that people will try to make sure that your needs be met - something quite outstanding compared to other parts of the world. Maybe the reason for this sincere interest in your inquiry lies not only in hospitality and inter-personal respect, but also in the fact that cultural and religious food laws are still very much alive in this country - devout Muslims usually don't eat pork or drink alcohol and don't eat or drink during daylight in Ramadan, devout Christians fast during lent and on up to three days a week throughout the year, devout Jews (though they are a very tiny minority nowadays) respect the complex kashrut laws and also fast during important religious holidays. This said it has to be emphasized that there is no guarantee that the person you just met really knows and tells the truth, like everywhere.

Lebanese people generally-said are very hospitable and it is not unlikely that you get invited to someone's home. In that case it is mandatory to tell them as soon as possible about your dietary needs. Don't be shy, otherwise it could turn out in a mutual social and cultural catastrophe and a culinary disaster. Just imagine you tell them you won't touch the pieces of chicken they've bought or maybe even killed just for you - or imagine you trying to be polite and trying to eat it. So tell what you don't eat, but don't omit to tell what you do eat - veganism does not have to be about lack, especially in Lebanon. In such a situation it would come handy if you had gotten a little bit familiar with Lebanese cuisine so you could name a few common vegan traditional dishes like batata me'le (french fries), hummus, falafel, fattoush. This would make preparing the usual opulent meal easier for your hosts and would be the foundation for a pleasant an unforgettable evening for you.