levantine · breakfast
Lebanese Mediterranean breakfast plate
The traditional Mount-Lebanon breakfast plate: aged akawi or cheddar, black Kalamata olives, fresh thyme leaves and zaatar drizzled with olive oil, sourdough whole bread, Medjool dates. Eaten slowly with mint or green tea. Energy-dense, palette-pure, ready in eight minutes.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
Steps
- 01
Slice the cheese
2 minSlice the akawi or aged cheddar into pieces five millimetres thick. Aged cheeses are tayyib, fresh white cheeses (qareesh, ricotta, philadelphia) are excluded. Bring to room temperature ten minutes before serving for full flavour.
- 02
Prepare the zaatar oil
2 minMix two tablespoons of olive oil with two teaspoons of zaatar (or dried thyme) in a small bowl, stir to form a glossy thick paste. This is the Mount-Lebanon dipping oil, used for sourdough bread.
- 03
Assemble the platter
4 minToast the sourdough bread lightly. Arrange on a wide plate: cheese on one side, Kalamata olives in a small bowl, the zaatar oil bowl in the centre, dates in a third corner. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the cheese. Eat by tearing bread, dipping into the oil and topping with cheese, olives or dates as you go.
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This article relays the public teachings of Dr. Diaa Al-Awadi for educational and informative purposes. It is not medical advice. Consult your physician before any dietary change. Legal notice.