Manakish

Manakish is flatbread dough topped with za'atar and olive oil, or with cheese or ground meat, then baked hot and fast. It's Lebanon's everyday breakfast bread, sold from bakeries every morning and eaten on the way to work more often than at a table.

What it actually is

A simple yeasted dough, the same base used for pita, is rolled thin and topped just before baking — most classically with za'atar, a blend of dried thyme, sumac and toasted sesame, mixed into a paste with olive oil. It goes into a very hot oven for only a few minutes, just long enough to crisp the edges while the topping stays glossy rather than browning through.

The same dough takes two other common toppings: jibneh, a stretchy white cheese, or lahm bi ajeen, spiced minced meat with tomato and onion — different enough from the za'atar version that regulars order them by name, not as "the other manakish."

How it's served

• Folded in half, straight from the oven, eaten by hand — never cut into slices.
• With mint, cucumber or olives on the side, for the za'atar version especially.
• First thing in the morning, which is when most Lebanese bakeries sell out of them.

Writing it on a menu

• Say which topping; za'atar, cheese and meat are different orders with different allergens, not variations of one dish.
• Flag sesame in the za'atar blend, and dairy if you offer the cheese version.
• The za'atar version is naturally vegan — worth labelling, since it's an easy strong vegan breakfast option.
• Mention it's meant to be eaten warm, soon after baking; manakish left to sit loses the crispness at the edge that defines it.