Is it spelled man’oushe, mankouche or manqoushe? Multiple ways of spelling for one great result: spread dough topped with specially mixed thyme, a la Libanaise, baked and served hot. However you decide to spell this piece of Lebanese culture, the end result is the same – a product which is deeply rooted in Lebanon’s history, loved and craved by children and adults alike on a daily basis…
A couple of months ago, I went on a venture to search for the best man’oushe, or should I say, one of the best, since man’oushe bakeries are everywhere in Lebanon, in every corner and in every neighborhood. Tasting all bakeries around Lebanon in a day would be impossible. I had to focus on one region this week (and will do the others in due time).
A 12 hour ‘man’oushe hunt’, which started at 6am on a calm Saturday morning and ended at 6pm. Together with Chef Marc Abed, my friends Shady and Elie we toured Greater Beirut area, visiting and tasting 16 places. We tried a variety of places – the small artisan bakeries, the more modernized ones, the commercial spots… a bit of each, to help us see and feel the difference…
