Sambousek

Dough is folded around a filling of cheese, spinach or spiced minced meat with pine nuts, then fried or baked. They are a favourite Levantine meze and party snack.

Sambousek (or sambousa) traces its lineage to the wider family of filled pastries that spread across the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, likely carried by trade routes and medieval cookery traditions. In Lebanon, it is a staple of the meze table and festive gatherings, though its exact point of origin is debated - similar versions appear in Armenian, Turkish, and Indian cuisines, each claiming a local adaptation.

Lebanese sambousek is typically distinguished by its thin, crisp dough and three common fillings: spiced minced meat with pine nuts, tangy white cheese, or spinach with onions and sumac. While fried versions dominate street-food stalls and home kitchens, baked varieties are common for lighter meals. The pastry holds cultural weight as a symbol of hospitality, often served at weddings, Ramadan iftars, and family celebrations, where its golden half-moon shape signals generosity and shared enjoyment.