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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Lebanese cuisine is widely acknowledged to be the finest in the Middle East. The country’s gastronomic tradition is characterised by the use of an extremely wide variety of locally produced, and therefore extremely fresh, vegetables served in all forms and shapes with an abundance of fresh herbs (mostly coriander, parsley and mint). Excellent Lebanese food is available everywhere. A dish unique to Lebanon is kebbeh, made of lamb or fish pounded to a fine paste, with burghul or cracked wheat, and served raw or baked in flat trays or rolled into balls and fried. Also recommended is the traditional Lebanese mezza, a range of up to 40 small dishes served as hors d’oeuvres with arak. Main courses are likely to include Lebanese staple ingredients of vegetables, rice and mutton. Lahm mishwi (pieces of mutton with onions, peppers and tomato) is popular. Other typical dishes are tabbouli, houmos and mtabbal. Lebanese palates also favour pastries with local varieties of baked doughs flavoured with nuts, cream and syrup. A meal is always concluded with a wide range of fresh fruit, including melon, apples, oranges, persimmon, tangerines, cactus fruit, grapes and figs, which are all grown locally. Beirut also offers a large choice of international restaurants which offer dishes from all over the world. Bars have table and/or counter service. Alcohol is not prohibited.
Nightlife: Nightclubs spice up the evenings in Beirut and mountain resorts. Entertainment ranges from solo guitarists to orchestras and floor shows. Some British-style pubs can be found in Beirut. There are many cinemas presenting the latest films from all over the world. After extensive refurbishment, the internationally renowned Casino du Liban in Maameltain (22km/14 miles north of Beirut) was reopened in 1997, and is now equipped with even more lavish gambling halls, luxurious restaurants and a cabaret.
Shopping: Lebanon’s traditional souks or markets are found all over the country offering decorative and precious handmade items at very low prices. Special purchases include traditional pottery and glassware, as well as cutlery made of tempered steel or copper with ram or buffalo bone handles shaped in the form of beautiful and colourful birds’ heads. Brass and copper goods include braziers, bowls, fluted jugs, ashtrays, swords and doorstops, all attractively designed and hand engraved. Cloth, silk and wool kaftans, abayas (embroidered nightwear) and table linen are popular, as are handworked gold and silver. Shops sell the latest Western goods including clothes, cosmetics, furniture and electrical appliances. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1900.
Social Conventions: Lebanese people are known for their hospitality. Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. It is acceptable to give a small gift, particularly if invited home for a meal. As far as dress is concerned, casual dress is suitable for daytime wear, except in main towns where dress tends to be rather formal. Smarter hotels and restaurants often require guests to dress for dinner. Smoking is common and acceptable unless specified otherwise. Tipping: In hotels and restaurants, a tip of between five per cent and ten per cent of the bill is expected. It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers.
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