The 20 most famous dishes of Libya
Libyan cooking blends North African roots with Mediterranean, Ottoman and Italian touches, so bazeen and couscous sit alongside mbakbka and steamed pasta.
1Bazeen
Libya's national dish: a dome of cooked barley dough set in the middle of the plate, surrounded by a spicy…
2Libyan Couscous with Lamb
Steamed couscous served with lamb broth, chickpeas and "busla" — sweet onions with raisins — the Friday and…
3Mbakbka (Libyan Pasta)
Small pasta cooked directly in a spicy tomato sauce with lamb or chicken until it soaks it all up — a…
4Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup)
Lamb soup with orzo, chickpeas and dried mint, an essential of the Ramadan iftar table.
5Osban (Libyan Stuffed Tripe)
Lamb tripe stuffed with rice, meat, liver and herbs, cooked in a spiced broth — Libya's signature Eid al-Adha…
6Aseeda
A smooth cooked flour pudding shaped into a dome and drenched in date syrup and ghee — served on the…
7Rishta Kaskas
Thin noodles steamed in the couscoussier and served with chicken broth, chickpeas and turnip — a wedding and…
8Hraymi (Spicy Fish Stew)
Fish poached in a fiery tomato sauce with garlic, cumin and caraway — a coastal dish loved in Tripoli and…
9Mbatan (Stuffed Fried Potatoes)
Potato slices sandwiched with minced meat and parsley, dipped in egg and fried, then simmered in a light…
10Libyan Shakshouka
Eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce with gedid (cured lamb) or minced meat — a common Libyan breakfast and…
11Libyan Spiced Rice (Rooz Mbowakh)
Rice cooked with turmeric and spices, lamb and peas, topped with a "khalta" of liver, nuts and raisins.
12Mafrouka (Libyan Ftat)
Thin bread torn and soaked in a rich, spicy lamb broth — a dish of hospitality in southern Libya and Fezzan.
13Makroud
Semolina pastries filled with date paste, cut into diamonds, fried or baked and dipped in honey — a feast-day…
14Ghraiba
Melt-in-the-mouth shortbread of flour, ghee and sugar, topped with an almond or pistachio — a staple of Eid…
15Sfinz (Libyan Doughnuts)
Soft yeasted dough stretched into rings and fried until puffy, eaten with honey and sugar or with an egg…
16Libyan Tea with Peanuts
Strong black tea boiled and poured from a height to build a thick foam ("kashkoosha"), served with roasted…
17Libyan Stuffed Peppers
Peppers, tomatoes and onions stuffed with rice, meat and dried mint, cooked in a turmeric-tomato sauce.
18Hassa (Libyan Barley Soup)
A warming soup of cracked barley or semolina with tomato, cumin and chili, eaten on winter evenings.
19Mbowakha (Steamed Pasta)
Pasta steamed in the couscoussier over spicy lamb broth and then tossed in its sauce — a uniquely Libyan…
20Libyan Tannour Bread
Round bread slapped onto the walls of a hot clay tannour, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle — the…