Libyan Cuisine
Food and Drink in Lybia
Libyans prefer to eat at home, except on Fridays, when they enjoy family beachside picnics. For the most part, restaurants and cafes are used by foreigners. Menus have become more sophisticated and one can find a greater variety of mainly Libyan and Middle Eastern cuisine. International cuisine is available in the larger hotels.
All alcoholic drinks are banned in Libya, in accordance with the laws of Islam. Local 'brews' are available, but are illegal and unlikely to be of good quality. Bottled mineral water is widely consumed, as are various soft drinks. Libyan tea is a thick beverage served in a small glass, often accompanied by mint or peanuts. Regular American/British coffee is available and in Libya is known as "Nescafé" (a misnomer).
Food in Libya is one of the most important activities of any Libyan family. The Libyans always say: one must eat well. Olive oil is the main ingredient of nearly any dish or meal in Libya, and it is almost impossible to cook or prepare any Libyan food without it. Its use in North Africa goes back thousands of years, and its healing and life-prolonging properties were well known to the ancient Egyptians. Offering of the olive branch to the Libyan oracle of Amon at Siwa indicates its sacred nature and antiquity.
Its use in Mediterranean diets has always been associated with good health and preventing major diseases like stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. The healing properties are found mainly in the extra virgin olive oil (and virgin olive oil), which is naturally produced, unrefined oil (also called "cold pressed"); while the active ingredients of the second type, known as "pure oil" or "olive oil ", were badly destroyed by the chemical processes used to extract the oil. According to recent research extra-virgin olive oil contains a natural painkiller similar to ibuprofen (found in headache tablets), and its active ingredient oleocanthal inhibits the activity of enzymes involved in inflammation just as ibuprofen does. Olive oil is also widely used as a skin ointment for its healing properties and in perfumes and medicines.
Ancient oil lamps in Libya were also kept alight by a regular supply of olive oil; adding a bit of salt around the wick prolongs the life of the lamp and reduces the consumption of oil. In fact the first commercial advert in the world was said to have been a Carthaginian oil lamp which went for sale for one penny.
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Zummeeta
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The flour mix is made of whole grain barley or wheat, a bit of coriander and cumin seeds. These are dry roasted in an empty frying pan until golden brown, then ground into powder, sieved and finally placed in clay jars and put away. Normally this process is done once a year, although the mixture can last for even two years. Whenever you need some z'ummeeta, just take some flour, add a pinch of salt, mix thoroughly with a bit of water, spread on a plate, and pour the olive oil on top. The mixture breaks up in the hand nice and dry, and smells fresh with a hint of coriander and olive oil. The modern way of making it is to mix the oil with the mixture and serve it ready mixed, as in the above photo, normally with a bit of harisa in the middle as a dip.