A typical Lebanese meal starts with MEZZEH – an elaborate spread of many hors d’oeuvres or just a salad and a bowl of nuts. But it is always a social and family meet to enjoy appetizers and conversation before the main course. The origin of the word mezzeh is unclear. It may be derived from the Persian ‘maza’ meaning ‘taste, relish’ or from the Arabic ‘mazmiz’ which means to nibble at food. Either way it means the pleasure of savoring little pieces of food. Almost anything small and tasty qualifies as a mezzeh can be a basket of pita bread, plates of fresh herbs, feta cheese, olives, some dips and salads and a pitcher of iced water. You can also find Hommos (a dip made of ground chickpeas) and Fattoush (a mix of fresh tomato, cucumber, lettuce, mint, fried bread with lemon and olive oil).