The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has included the Lebanese flatbread, Manoushe, on its list of intangible heritage traditions.
The Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage has been meeting since Tuesday in Botswana.
UNESCO described on Wednesday the Manouche as "quintessential Lebanese breakfast," saying it is a flatbread dough that is indented using the fingertips and topped with a mixture of thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and olive oil.
The techniques of preparing Manouche and its toppings are usually transmitted informally from parents to children. It is prepared in homes and specialized bakeries and enjoyed by people of all backgrounds.
The Lebanese Commission to UNESCO submitted the official application to the committee.
Lebanon's Ambassador to UNESCO Sahar Baassiri said the "practices of making manoushe" are widespread "throughout Lebanese territory."
The application added that rural and urban communities make this kind of thyme flatbread, which is usually eaten at breakfast but is also served as an appetizer at lunchtime with an assortment of savory pastries called "mouajanat" stuffed with cheese, meat, or spinach.
The Lebanese people in the diaspora worldwide also make and eat Manouche.
