Knowra Mezze Mezze Mezze is a meal format of small dishes served together, common across the eastern Mediterranean and West Asia. Dishes may be shared before a main course or make up the meal themselves.
Hummus : A dip made chiefly from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. A familiar chickpea dip often served as part of a mezze spread.
Tapas : A Spanish dining tradition of small savory dishes, served as snacks or as a meal. Tapas offers a useful comparison in how small dishes structure social eating.
Levantine cuisine : The cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean Levant, including those of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Mezze is strongly associated with Levantine food traditions and ingredients.
Communal eating : A way of eating in which people share food from common dishes or a common table. Mezze commonly invites diners to take portions from a shared spread.
Baba ghanoush : A Levantine dip made from roasted eggplant, often mixed with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Roasted eggplant adds a smoky counterpart to chickpea-based mezze.
Antipasto : The opening course of an Italian meal, often comprising cured foods, vegetables, and cheeses. Unlike a full mezze spread, antipasto typically serves as a preliminary course.
Meze : A tradition of small dishes served with drinks or as part of a meal, especially in Turkey and neighboring regions. Meze is a closely related regional term and dining tradition.
Food sharing : The distribution or joint consumption of food among people. Passing and sampling dishes makes sharing part of the mezze meal's structure.
Tabbouleh : A Levantine salad of parsley, bulgur, tomato, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil. Its fresh herbs and acidity balance richer dishes on the table.
Lebanese cuisine : The culinary traditions of Lebanon, shaped by local ingredients and regional exchange. Lebanese restaurant meals often make mezze central to dining and hospitality.
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