Lebanese cuisine is part of the culinary tradition of which Mediterranean region?

Lebanese cuisine is part of the culinary tradition of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Lebanon lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, within the broader region commonly called the Levant. That geographic setting connects Lebanese food with neighboring culinary traditions from Syria, Palestine, Jordan and parts of the wider Eastern Mediterranean. The cuisines share ingredients, techniques and dishes while retaining distinctive local styles.

Lebanese cooking is known for mezze, a spread of small hot and cold dishes. Hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, kibbeh, flatbreads, olives, legumes, garlic, lemon and olive oil are familiar examples. The tradition also reflects centuries of Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Ottoman and other regional influences.

Eastern Mediterranean is not the same as Western Mediterranean, which generally refers to areas such as Spain, southern France, Italy’s western zones and parts of North Africa. Nor is it a political label or a single standardized cuisine; it is a broad geographic and cultural classification. Lebanese cuisine can also accurately be described as Levantine or Middle Eastern, but Eastern Mediterranean is the specific regional answer asked here.