Libyan Cuisine

Libyan cuisine sits at a flavourful crossroads where the Mediterranean, the Sahara and the wider Arab world meet, blending North African, Italian and Middle Eastern influences into a hearty and aromatic tradition. A signature dish is bazin, a firm barley dough eaten with a rich, spiced tomato and lamb sauce, while fragrant couscous crowned with meat and vegetables graces family tables. The cuisine is warmed by sharba, a hearty spiced soup beloved in Ramadan, and reflects Libya's Italian past in popular pasta dishes and macarona. Fresh Mediterranean fish, dates, olives, and sweet pastries round out a generous, spice-scented table full of warmth and hospitality.

What you'll find

• Bazin - the firm barley dough with spiced lamb-and-tomato sauce.
• Couscous - the fragrant steamed grain with meat and vegetables.
• Sharba - the hearty spiced soup.
• The pasta dishes - the Italian-influenced macarona and fresh fish.

When to go

Year-round; Libyan food is enjoyed across the country, from the Mediterranean coast to the desert oases, and through the Libyan diaspora. Bazin and couscous are the signature dishes, while hearty sharba soup is especially beloved during Ramadan.

What to expect

Some traditional dishes like bazin have a distinctive firm texture that may be unfamiliar at first, and the finest home-style cooking is best sought in a family setting or dedicated eatery. As a hearty, aromatic tradition where the Mediterranean meets the Sahara, from spicy bazin to fragrant couscous and Italian-influenced pasta, though, Libyan cuisine is a genuine and generous delight.

Nearby

The eateries of Tripoli and Benghazi, and Libyan restaurants abroad, serve it.