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Lebanese vs Mauritian food & cuisine

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Lebanon

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Mauritius

In Lebanon, people consume about 1873 g of food per day, with produce taking the biggest share at 43%, and fish and seafood coming in last at 1%. In Mauritius, the daily total is around 1779 g, with grains leading at 29% and fish and seafood at the bottom with 4%.

Lebanon

Mauritius

The average Lebanese daily plate size is

The average Mauritian daily plate size is

1873 g.
1779 g.
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Grains

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Fish and seafood

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Produce

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Eggs and dairy

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Meats

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Sugar, fats and nuts

The backbone of Lebanese cooking is a fresh, predominantly plant-based approach, featuring diverse mezze, extensive use of vegetables, grains, pulses, flatbreads, aromatic spices, and traditional sweets. Core ingredients are bulgur, chickpeas, lentils, flatbreads, char-grilled chicken, lamb and mutton, fresh salads, mezze with a bright, herbal quality. Lebanese use olive oil, garlic, sumac, and lemon generously and create a harmony between lightness and flavor.

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Grains 387 G

WHEAT

333 G

RICE

44 G

CORN

5 G

BARLEY

4 G

RYE

0 G

OATS

1 G

MILLET

0 G

SORGHUM

0 G

OTHER CEREALS

0 G

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Grains 519 G

WHEAT

322 G

RICE

183 G

CORN

8 G

BARLEY

3 G

RYE

0 G

OATS

2 G

MILLET

0 G

SORGHUM

0 G

OTHER CEREALS

1 G

Fresh wheat flatbreads are central to every meal in Lebanon. Levantine cuisines rely on bulgur, semolina, and and antient grain freekeh – roasted green wheat with a smoky flavor. Bulgur, in fine to coarse sizes, appears in tabbouleh, kibbeh, and pilafs. Semolina, from durum wheat, is used like bulgur and forms the base of Lebanese couscous.

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Produce 804 G

PULSES

21 G

VEGETABLES

357 G

STARCHY ROOTS

155 G

FRUITS

271 G

SEA PLANTS

0 G

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Produce 481 G

PULSES

25 G

VEGETABLES

264 G

STARCHY ROOTS

67 G

FRUITS

105 G

SEA PLANTS

0 G

Vegetables and vegetarian dishes are essential. Tomatoes – fresh in salads (tabbouleh, fattoush), cooked in stews, sauces, and stuffed dishes. Cucumbers – eaten raw, in salads, and with yogurt. Onions – base for stews, mujadara, and marinades; also served raw with grilled meats. Eggplants – grilled, stuffed, or pureed into baba ghanoush and moussaka. Zucchini – especially in stuffed dishes.  Bell peppers – used in salads, grills, and stuffings. Leafy greens & herbs – parsley, mint, and purslane are essential in salads and flavoring.

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Meats 99 G

POULTRY

57 G

PORK

2 G

BEEF

33 G

MUTTON AND GOAT

4 G

OTHER MEAT

0 G

OFFALS

3 G

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Meats 150 G

POULTRY

110 G

PORK

10 G

BEEF

16 G

MUTTON AND GOAT

9 G

OTHER MEAT

2 G

OFFALS

3 G

Meat used to be pricey and was saved mostly for weekends and holidays. The traditional staples were lamb, goat, and beef. Pork was also eaten, but less so due to Islamic dietary rules and long-standing culinary traditions. There’s a distinction between traditional meats and modern consumption patterns in Lebanon.

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Fish and seafood 24 G

FISH

20 G

SEAFOOD

4 G

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Fish and seafood 75 G

FISH

61 G

SEAFOOD

14 G

These days, chicken is by far the most common on the table. In many recipes that originally used lamb or mutton, beef has now taken its place. It features kibbeh, grilled skewers (kebabs), shawarma, kofte, and slow-cooked stews. Meat has a symbolic role in feasts, hospitality, and religious celebrations, often marking abundance.

Historically, Lebanon’s topography focused on land agriculture – growing pulses, veggies, fruits, livestock, and dairy. Fish and seafood are indeed a part of Lebanese cuisine, but in a smaller ratio compared to other Mediterranean countries, except in coastal areas.

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Eggs and dairy 277 G

EGGS

14 G

MILK AND DAIRY

257 G

ANIMAL FATS

6 G

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Eggs and dairy 273 G

EGGS

18 G

MILK AND DAIRY

246 G

ANIMAL FATS

9 G

Eggs are used, but not a central ingredient in Lebanese cuisine. They appear in some everyday dishes, in pastries, and as a binding in kibbeh, still not as dominant as in European cuisines.

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SUGARS, FATS AND NUTS 282 G

NUTS

36 G

SWEETENERS

175 G

SUGAR CROPS

0 G

VEG OILS

50 G

OILCROPS

21 G

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SUGARS, FATS AND NUTS 281 G

NUTS

9 G

SWEETENERS

120 G

SUGAR CROPS

81 G

VEG OILS

56 G

OILCROPS

15 G

Almonds, walnuts, and especially pine nuts are essential flavor builders and garnishes. You’ll find them toasted, scattered over rice-and-meat dishes, stirred into stews, folded into kibbeh, or layered into sweets like baklava and mafroukeh. Compared with much of the world, this heavy reliance on nuts is distinctive.

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Herbs

MARJORAM

MINT

OREGANO

BAY LEAVES

CILANTRO

PARSLEY

THYME

CURRY LEAVES

Lebanon
Common
Mauritius

MARJORAM

MINT

OREGANO

BAY LEAVES

CILANTRO

PARSLEY

THYME

CURRY LEAVES

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Spices

ALLSPICE

ANISEED

DRY CHILI

MAHLAB

NIGELA SEED

SUMAC

BLACK PEPPER

CINNAMON

CORIANDER

CUMIN

GREEN CARDAMOM

TURMERIC DRY

ASAFOEDITA

CLOVES

FENUGREEK

MUSTARD SEEDS

NUTMEG

SAFFRON

STAR ANISE

Lebanon
Common
Mauritius

ALLSPICE

ANISEED

DRY CHILI

MAHLAB

NIGELA SEED

SUMAC

BLACK PEPPER

CINNAMON

CORIANDER

CUMIN

GREEN CARDAMOM

TURMERIC DRY

ASAFOEDITA

CLOVES

FENUGREEK

MUSTARD SEEDS

NUTMEG

SAFFRON

STAR ANISE

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Aromatics

MASTIC

ORANGE WATER

ROSEWATER

TOMATO

CHILI PEPPERS

GARLIC

LEMON

ONION

GINGER

LIME

Lebanon
Common
Mauritius

MASTIC

ORANGE WATER

ROSEWATER

TOMATO

CHILI PEPPERS

GARLIC

LEMON

ONION

GINGER

LIME

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Condiments

CLARIFIED BUTTER

DATE SYRUP / SILAN

DATES

DRIED YOGURT

HONEY

OLIVE OIL

PINE NUTS

PISTACHIOS

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

SESAME SEEDS

TAHINI

TOMATO PASTE

YOGURT

COCONUT MILK

DRIED FISH/SEAFOOD

GRAIN VINEGAR

TAMARIND

Lebanon
Common
Mauritius

CLARIFIED BUTTER

DATE SYRUP / SILAN

DATES

DRIED YOGURT

HONEY

OLIVE OIL

PINE NUTS

PISTACHIOS

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

SESAME SEEDS

TAHINI

TOMATO PASTE

YOGURT

COCONUT MILK

DRIED FISH/SEAFOOD

GRAIN VINEGAR

TAMARIND

Lebanon

SEASONINGS

A Lebanese flavor profile is fragrant, fresh, and balanced – never overwhelming, always layered. Herbs are less prominent than various spices and their combinations, with the exception of mint and parsley. Lebanese cuisine welcomes not only fresh but also dried herbs, especially mint, which is generously used in beverages.

Compared to other Mediterranean cuisines, Lebanese dishes stand out for its sourness . The sour elements are yogurt, tomatoes, pomegranates, and their molasses, extensive use of lemon juice, verjuice (acidic juice made by pressing unrip grapes), plums, almonds, apricots (even not fully ripened), high-quality sumac. The name of sumac comes from the Aramaic word summaq, meaning dark red. Indeed, dark red berries, once they are fully ripe are harvested, dried, and ground to a texture of ground nuts. Widely used in Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Lebanese cooking, it adds sourness and zestiness and calls out the natural flavors in meats, salads, and dips. Many Lebanese sauces and dressings feature garlic, lemon, and tahini, a paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds. Sesame, nigella seeds, mahlab are often sprinkled on breads and pastries.  The use of floral waters is extensive: orange blossom water and rose water have been used for centuries and are associated with luxury and refinement.

ZA’ATAR – a fundamental spice mix often used as a topping for bread, meats, and vegetables, or mixed with olive oil. Made of dried thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, salt.

Warm spices are popular: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, cloves, and black pepper. Together, they form the BAHARAT spice blend, which is also known as the Lebanese SEVEN SPICE blend.

Though more widely associated with Egypt, variations of DUKKAH are also found in Lebanese cuisine. It blends sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

KAMOUNEH  spice – used to flavor kibbeh and can be used as a meat rub. This spice mix gives a distinctive earthy flavor: cumin (key spice, hence the name), coriander, cinnamon, pepper, dried mint, allspice, sumac, and basil.

SAUCES

The classy flavor combination of garlic, lemon, and olive oil is also common to Lebanon. It unfolds in TOUM sauce (resembling Spanish allioli and French aioli), where these three ingredients, salt and water, are emulsified to a thick spread in a food processor. Although the ingredients are the same, the feel and texture of the sauce are quite distinct.

TARATOR sauce – tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water used as a dressing for falafel, shawarma, fish, or served alongside kibbeh and roasted vegetables

DIBIS W TAHINI – a traditional sauce made from a mix of tahini and dibis (date molasses).

SUMAC SAUCE – a tangy sauce made from sumac, olive oil, and sometimes mixed with onions and parsley.

Who EATs more per day?

Pick the heavier plate

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