In his evocative work, Liban: Dictionnaire des Saveurs (published by Editions Cosmopole), Chef Karim Haidar moves beyond the standard catalog of hummus and falafel to offer a profound exploration of Lebanese identity through its culinary heritage. As the chef behind Paris’s renowned Sama Bistro, Haidar utilizes this book to bridge the gap between the Lebanon of memory and the reality of its modern-day diaspora.

The book is structured as a charming abecedary (A-Z dictionary), a format that allows readers to navigate the complexities of Lebanese culture in a non-linear, discovery-based way. Rather than a dry list of ingredients, each entry serves as a window into a specific scene of daily life, a linguistic expression, or a historical tradition.

Haidar, who has lived in exile for over thirty years, writes with the perspective of someone protecting a fragile legacy. Key themes explored in the book include:

• Filiation and Belonging: For a nation where the diaspora far outnumbers the domestic population, Haidar argues that food is often the strongest remaining link to one’s roots. He seeks to document recipes and traditions that were historically transmitted only orally, preventing them from being lost to time or conflict.

• The Poetry of the Everyday: The “dictionary” includes more than just recipes; it documents the habits of eating. From the simple snacks of childhood to the incredibly labor-intensive dishes reserved for festive celebrations, Haidar captures the rhythm of Lebanese life.

• Authenticity vs. Commercialism: The book challenges the globalized, often simplified version of Lebanese food. It emphasizes the “garden salad” nature of dishes like fattoush—which varies from village to village based on what is growing—rather than a static, standardized recipe.

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