Arak: the only drink that goes really well with Lebanese food

Every time I go to a Lebanese restaurant, I see people around me enjoying different drinks with the food; mostly beer, whisky, wine and arak.

While people can drink whatever pleases them with their food :), there is one drink that really goes well with Lebanese food and it’s Arak.

Let me explain; Lebanese food is generally very acidic, especially the mezze. Anytime you’re in a Lebanese restaurant, you will be ordering a lot of salads like tabbouleh, fattoush, rocca, artichoke in lemon and oil, hindbeh, etc., as well as hummus, moutabbal, batata harra, chicken liver, birds and sausages in debs el remmen and so on. The way we eat mezze is not to enjoy just one dish out of all of those, but to eat small portions from every dish, so imagine the level of acidity that your palate and taste buds are getting.

To keep enjoying this type of food over a whole lunch or dinner, your taste buds and palate need to be refreshed or else they’ll become numb. So whatever drink you’re sipping on between your mouthfuls needs to tone down the acidity of the food, and that’s exactly what Arak does. It’s actually what only Arak can do. With its hints of sweetness and earthy texture, it will sober your palate and ease your taste buds before you take in more tangy flavors from the food. This way, your mezze mouthfuls will be better enjoyed because your taste buds are ready to take in more acidity :).

Voila! Next time you’re in a restaurant, try to feel Arak’s effect on your taste buds and how each mouthful will taste better after every sip. Cheers!