Libyan cuisine culture is a mixture of Arabic and Mediterranean, with a strong Italian influence. Italy's legacy from the days when Libya was an Italian colony can be seen in the popularity of pasta on its menus, particularly macaroni.
A famous local dish is couscous, which is a boiled cereal (traditionally millet, now fairly often wheat) used as a base for meat and potatoes. The meat is usually lamb, but chicken is served occasionally. Sharba is a highly-spiced Libyan soup. Bazin, a local speciality is a hard paste, made from barley, salt and water.
Fish is in abundance in Libya, and fresh fish is available every day and night. Therefore it is no surprise that fish diches are also very popular with Libyans and foreigners alike. An evening’s visit to one of the great number of restaurants at the so-called Il-Hofra, is an experience no visitor to Libya should miss.Each and every restaurant at Il-Hof-ra displays a great variety of fish on large trays in front of the restaurant. The customer picks out the fish he fancies, checks the price and then sits at a table inside the restaurant to be served the mouth-watering savoury fish dishes grilled on charcoal normally at the entrance to the restaurant. Libyans also seem to have a sweet tooth. Everybody seems to like desert, not just after meals. Libyans have all sorts of traditional desert dishes, one of the most popular being the Asida, usually eaten on Eid day. It consists of dough eaten with melted butter and honey. Fruit, mostly oranges, but not only, is also in abu-ndance in Libya and foreigners are usually impressed by its large size, juiciness and deliciousness. Libyans prefer to eat at home, except on Fridays, when they enjoy family beachside picnics, or go to restaurants. Many of the eating places have sections specially reserved for family parties.For the most part, foreigners use restaurants and cafes during the other days of the week. Menus have become more sophisticated and foreigners eating out can find a great variety of mainly Libyan and Middle Eastern cuisine. International cuisine is also available in the newly opened restaurants and large hotels. I accordance with the laws of Islam all alcoholic drink is banned in Libya. Bottled mineral wat-er is however widely consumed, as are various soft drinks and international brands of non-alcoholic beer.Fruit juices, particularly orange, can be bought in season from street stalls. Then there’s Libyan tea, which is a thick beverage served in a small glass, often accompanied by mint or peanuts. Coffee is also very popular and high-quality brands from Europe and South America are easily accessible. A cup of tea or coffee is normally followed by a glass of water, again, influenced by years of Italian occupation of Libya in the last century.
A famous local dish is couscous, which is a boiled cereal (traditionally millet, now fairly often wheat) used as a base for meat and potatoes. The meat is usually lamb, but chicken is served occasionally. Sharba is a highly-spiced Libyan soup. Bazin, a local speciality is a hard paste, made from barley, salt and water.
Fish is in abundance in Libya, and fresh fish is available every day and night. Therefore it is no surprise that fish diches are also very popular with Libyans and foreigners alike. An evening’s visit to one of the great number of restaurants at the so-called Il-Hofra, is an experience no visitor to Libya should miss.Each and every restaurant at Il-Hof-ra displays a great variety of fish on large trays in front of the restaurant. The customer picks out the fish he fancies, checks the price and then sits at a table inside the restaurant to be served the mouth-watering savoury fish dishes grilled on charcoal normally at the entrance to the restaurant. Libyans also seem to have a sweet tooth. Everybody seems to like desert, not just after meals. Libyans have all sorts of traditional desert dishes, one of the most popular being the Asida, usually eaten on Eid day. It consists of dough eaten with melted butter and honey. Fruit, mostly oranges, but not only, is also in abu-ndance in Libya and foreigners are usually impressed by its large size, juiciness and deliciousness. Libyans prefer to eat at home, except on Fridays, when they enjoy family beachside picnics, or go to restaurants. Many of the eating places have sections specially reserved for family parties.For the most part, foreigners use restaurants and cafes during the other days of the week. Menus have become more sophisticated and foreigners eating out can find a great variety of mainly Libyan and Middle Eastern cuisine. International cuisine is also available in the newly opened restaurants and large hotels. I accordance with the laws of Islam all alcoholic drink is banned in Libya. Bottled mineral wat-er is however widely consumed, as are various soft drinks and international brands of non-alcoholic beer.Fruit juices, particularly orange, can be bought in season from street stalls. Then there’s Libyan tea, which is a thick beverage served in a small glass, often accompanied by mint or peanuts. Coffee is also very popular and high-quality brands from Europe and South America are easily accessible. A cup of tea or coffee is normally followed by a glass of water, again, influenced by years of Italian occupation of Libya in the last century.
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