When talking about Libyan cuisine one would often refer to it as “tent cookery” that can be labelled as tasty and healthy and not sophisticated. In addition to dishes that consist of oil, milk, rice, vegetables, dates, semolina, and pasta products, meats are most of the times prepared in a manner that makes for easily digestible dishes. In this Moslem land, there is a strict tradition that tends to govern most of the eating habits. For instance, at dinner each course is served on a common platter and guests have to eat by helping themselves from around the edges of the platters. In Libya the food in the very center of each tray is never consumed as it is intended as an offering to heaven. Another thing that seems to be related to tradition is that beverages are not served with meals. Another rule is represented by the fact that the person drinking should not breathe into the bowl and he/she must remove it from his lips before beginning to breathe again. Libyan food consists of a mixture between the Mediterranean and North African traditions. If in the past the most important items were wheat, barley, dates, soft fruits, lamb or fish, nowadays a rapid improvement in nutritional levels has occurred. The most common dishes are thick broth made from lamb stock with spices, vegetables and grain, as well as couscous which is a form of braised lamb served with steamed buck-wheat, dried fruits and vegetables.
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==[[:Category:Libyan Cuisine|Cuisines of Libya]]==
==[[:Category:Libyan Cuisine|Cuisines of Libya]]==
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When talking about Libyan cuisine one would often refer to it as “tent cookery” that can be labelled as tasty and healthy and not sophisticated. In addition to dishes that consist of oil, milk, rice, vegetables, dates, semolina, and pasta products, meats are most of the times prepared in a manner that makes for easily digestible dishes. In this Moslem land, there is a strict tradition that tends to govern most of the eating habits. For instance, at dinner each course is served on a common platter and guests have to eat by helping themselves from around the edges of the platters. In Libya the food in the very center of each tray is never consumed as it is intended as an offering to heaven. Another thing that seems to be related to tradition is that beverages are not served with meals. Another rule is represented by the fact that the person drinking should not breathe into the bowl and he/she must remove it from his lips before beginning to breathe again. Libyan food consists of a mixture between the Mediterranean and North African traditions. If in the past the most important items were wheat, barley, dates, soft fruits, lamb or fish, nowadays a rapid improvement in nutritional levels has occurred. The most common dishes are thick broth made from lamb stock with spices, vegetables and grain, as well as couscous which is a form of braised lamb served with steamed buck-wheat, dried fruits and vegetables.
Finding the ingredients for an Libyan Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.
Most Libyan dishes don’t require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee grinder helps with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in turn, provides your food with more flavor.
However, here are a few kitchen utensils you might want to use:
Libyan Food Traditions and Festivals
People in Libyan Food
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