Which citrus juice often seasons Lebanese dishes along with salt?

Lemon juice is the citrus juice that often seasons Lebanese dishes along with salt.

Lemon is one of the signature souring ingredients in Lebanese cooking. It is commonly combined with salt, garlic and olive oil to sharpen flavors in salads, dips, grilled meats, seafood and vegetable dishes. The acidity also balances rich ingredients such as tahini, chickpeas and olive oil.

This use appears across the cuisine rather than in one single recipe. Tabbouleh receives lemon juice in its dressing, while hummus is often brightened with lemon and tahini. Chicken dishes such as shish taouk may be marinated with lemon, garlic and spices, and many cooked vegetables are finished with a squeeze of juice.

Lime, grapefruit and orange can all appear in modern or creative recipes, but they are not the standard answer to this traditional Lebanese-cuisine clue. Another common confusion is sumac: it supplies a tart, lemon-like flavor in dishes such as fattoush, but it is a spice, not citrus juice. The canonical citrus seasoning here is lemon juice.