Lebanese hospitality

The staff of Warda are very proud of the hospitality we offer the people of Southgate and the surrounding area, and why shouldn’t we be – there have been people in Lebanon for over seven thousand years, and the country is famous for the care and attention it shows its guests. We have quite a reputation to live up to!

 

In Lebanon it is considered an honour and a privilege to have a guest in your home, and how a person takes care of his guests says a lot about who he is, so if you have the good fortune to find yourself the guest of a Lebanese person you can expect to be offered every comfort. It is likely you will be offered a drink as soon as you arrive, and it is considered rude to refuse. It is also likely that you will be encouraged to try a little (or a lot!) of every dish on the table, of which there will be quite a few (see our previous blog), and you may be pressed to have second and even third helpings. You should also be prepared to be asked several times whether you would like some more to eat or drink. Even if you initially refuse, it is likely you will be asked again as your host wants to do his utmost to make sure you are comfortable and have had sufficient, so it’s a good idea to pace yourself. This is one of the reasons why meals in Lebanon are never casual affairs, and can go on for several hours.

 

We know things won’t be exactly the same in a restaurant – for example, we don’t expect you to bring us gifts or sweets, and no one likes a pushy waiter, but at Warda you can be guaranteed a warm welcome, a relaxed meal, good food and plenty of it!

Sources:

http://www.maroniteacademy.org/maroniteacademy/5.culture-language.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/lebanon.html

Lebanese cuisine

You’re at work. It’s a slow Wednesday. Coffee isn’t helping. Your work-friend leans over your desk. ‘How’s it going?’ they ask. 

‘Oh, you know. Can’t wait for the weekend.’

‘If you haven’t got plans, a few of us are going to Warda on Friday night. Have you been there? It’s in Southgate. It’s got a great wine bar, and they do the best Lebanese food – their baba ghanoush is to die for.’

Panic sets in. It sounds like fun, but what is Lebanese food like? Isn’t it all lamb and chickpeas? And just what the heck is baba ghanoush?!

Actually, as it shares nearly half of its borders with the Mediterranean Sea and has a history of trade and commerce, it’s not surprising that Lebanese cuisine is something of a melting-pot. Some of its dishes can be traced back to the Roman Empire, and it has elements of cuisine from all around the Mediterranean and Middle East. Key ingredients are fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, aubergine, sesame seeds, lamb and chicken.

Lebanese cuisine has its roots in hospitality. Traditionally, it was considered rude to offer a guest a drink without also offering them something to eat, and this gave rise to a host of tiny dishes collectively known as mezzes – similar to British nibbles or Spanish tapas – a wide assortment of which would be laid out in front of the guest. Typical mezzos are pastry parcels with a variety of fillings, cucumber and carrot sticks dipped in hummus (pureed chickpeas), falafel (deep-fried bean croquettes), tabboulé (salad with parsley and mint), and – yes – baba ghanoush, which is pureed aubergine mixed with tahini (ground sesame seeds), and is delicious!

www.wardarestaurant.co.uk

Images used with permission from Kavey Eats” Kavey Eats http://www.kaveyeats.com/2014/05/warda-lebanese-the-best-lebanese-food-ive-had-since-visiting-lebanon.html