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With another cold morning in the mountains of Lebanon ahead of me, I began my day in the city of Hrajel, roughly one hour northeast of Beirut. I was there to visit some bakeries, check out some more Lebanese food, and see some sights, so let’s explore Hrajel, Lebanon!
My guide Armando and I would basically be going on a breakfast tour! The area was like a winter wonderland. There was snow everywhere!
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Our first stop was a small bakery where we met a man spreading two different cheeses on some dough before baking it in an oven for 3 minutes. We got one with cheese and another with lamb (lahm bi ajeen).
The cheese manakish had a nice crust that wasn’t too soft or too crispy, with nice, gooey cheese. It was really good and fresh!
Then, the man made another with a mix of za’atar and sunflower oil on top. As we watched, the owner brought a huge bowl of ground lamb! He added salt and spices into the lamb. The za’atar flatbread smelled incredible!
Then, Armando squeezed some lemon juice of the the lahm bi ajeen. I loved the zestiness of the lemon juice with the meat. Between the lamb, crispy bread, and lemon, it was an amazing breakfast that cost us less than $4 USD in total!
Next, we hopped in the car and drove through a mountain resort area down an icy road to Qalaat Faqra, an archaeological site consisting of Roman ruins from 44 AD. It was built by Emperor Claudius!
Unfortunately, because of the deep snow, we couldn’t go inside the site and see the ruins. It’s a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site!
This was one of the coldest and snowiest winters in Lebanon’s history! I highly recommend coming to Lebanon during the warmer months if you want to see the outdoor attractions.
From there, we drove to Saj Mema, where they were cooking the dough on a huge, round flat top grill. As it grilled, the cook added chili paste (hurin), sesame seeds, and four cheeses (hurin). In Arabic, the mix of cheese and chilies is known as jubna hurin.
They cut it into gooey, scorching-hot slices. It was crispy and wasn’t too spicy. I loved the addition of the sesame seeds. It was simple but delicious, and perfect for such a cold day!
After finishing with some Lebanese espressos, we drove to a restaurant called Jalset al Erzal to have a dish called kawarma or qawarma (chopped lamb, usually served with hummus) and labne (a type of yogurt).
They also make a special local cheese and kebabs. In the kitchen, I could see a huge, boiling pot of minced lamb, as well as them making eggs with lamb. They were aso making minced lamb kebabs, chicken kebabs, and baked potatoes.
At our table, we started with a smooth and cloudy arak. Then, we had saj (a large, thin flatbread), bayad ma’a qawarma (kawarma and eggs), labne, and jibneh baladi (local white cheese).
The saj with labne was amazing. I loved how thick and creamy the labne was. It’s locally made, so it’s super fresh. The bayad ma’a qawarma was also great. The saj reminded me of the lavash I ate in Armenia!
The three together made for a cold, warm, creamy, and hearty mix! Then, I tried some tomato, jibneh baladi, and mint in the saj like a wrap. The fresh, juicy tomatoes and soft white cheese were outstanding.
The dense lamb kofta (kebabs) were juicy and charred, and minimal on the spices, unlike Indian kebabs. We also had a baked potato with olive oil. But I had to go bck to the bayad ma’a qawarma.
Finally, we had halawa (sesame dessert) with saj topped with butter and sugar. The syrupy bread with the halawa was amazing. I loved the texture and the sweetness! What an incredible morning in Hrajel!
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About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last 13 years, I have traveled the world in search of unique destinations and cuisines. Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have explored over 1,200 destinations in 84 countries, while documenting them on my YouTube channels, travel blog, and social media sites.
I focus mostly on cuisine, culture, and historical sites, but my passion is food! I love to experience and showcase the different flavors each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining.
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