Levantine cooking comes from the eastern Mediterranean lands of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan, with recipes and names that cross today’s borders. Mezze is the clearest introduction because it lets the table compare creamy, crisp, tart, smoky and fresh foods in the same sitting.
Chickpeas and tahini matter, but they are not the whole cuisine. Parsley, mint, sumac, pomegranate, yogurt, grilled meat, stuffed vegetables and breads create the larger picture.
How it tastes
Levantine, in four cues.
Tahini
Sesame paste adds richness without dairy and carries lemon and garlic well.
Herbs
Parsley and mint are ingredients, not decorations.
Tartness
Sumac, lemon and pomegranate sharpen grains, meat and salads.
Smoke
Charred eggplant and grilled meat give the table a darker counterpoint.
At the neighboring table
How Levantine differs nearby.
Levantine mezze is usually broader than the American idea of an appetizer sampler. It can be the architecture of the meal.
Compared with Persian cooking, Levantine meals lean more heavily on bread, raw herbs and tahini; Persian tables give rice and stews a larger formal role.
Dish histories
The stories carried by Levantine food.
Hummus
Cooked chickpeas and tahini are documented across the region, while the modern dish is part of several national food cultures. Its history is shared and politically sensitive.
Baba ghanoush
Fire transforms eggplant before tahini, lemon and garlic enter the bowl. Regional names and recipes vary, especially in whether the eggplant is mixed smooth or left textured.
Tabbouleh
In its Levantine home, tabbouleh is primarily a parsley salad with mint, tomato and bulgur—not a bowl of grain with a little green.
Dolma and mahshi
Stuffed leaves and vegetables belong to a much wider Ottoman and Middle Eastern family. The filling changes with season, place and whether the dish is served hot or cool.
Twenty stories connect food history to menus in Sonoma and Marin where these dishes can be ordered today.
Open the dish index ↗First visit
Your first Levantine table.
- Hummus with warm bread
- A smoky eggplant dip
- Tabbouleh
- Stuffed grape leaves
- Grilled chicken or lamb
Where to try it