By Jean-Pierre Montanay
“Man’ouché is like a pizza, but with a much thinner and lighter dough,” says Alan Geaam—and he knows what he’s talking about. As the only Michelin-starred Lebanese chef in France, Geaam speaks with affection of this flatbread that reminds him of his homeland. Just look at the crowds flocking to Faurn—which means “oven” in Arabic—his Paris restaurant entirely dedicated to the craft of this humble dish. It’s a major moment of recognition for such a simple and affordable food, which gained global attention in 2023 when it was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, alongside dishes like ceviche and Italian opera (yes, the lyrical kind). In Lebanon, man’ouché was born in the mountains, where the absence of bakeries meant women prepared it at home. The recipe couldn’t be simpler: a dough of flour and water topped with foraged ingredients like za’atar (thyme or oregano) and sumac, then baked for about thirty seconds in a blazing hot oven—often a traditional bread oven heated to 400°C (750°F). During the rural exodus of the 1950s and 60s, mountain farmers moved to the coastal cities, taking man’ouché with them. It soon became the most popular breakfast item. A culinary totem of Lebanon’s rich food culture, the flatbread then followed the Lebanese diaspora across the globe. Today, fueled by the global appetite for street food, this Eastern-style pizza is a staple at Lebanese eateries and food markets worldwide. While the classic version with za’atar remains the most iconic, man’ouché has seen an upscale twist—with toppings like halloumi, labneh, eggs, or spiced lamb turning this rustic flatbread into something richer and more indulgent.
