Beirut Cooking Festival and the role of CSOs in showcasing traditional Lebanese Foods

The Minister of Tourism, Muichel Pharaon, inaugurated the fourth edition of the Beirut Cooking Festival which kicked off at Biel yesterday.  In his speech, Pharaon commended the role of civil society in this sector and noted that Lebanese cooking is a reason of pride and challenge as it represents Lebanon’s civilization and all that is beautiful. The director of Hospitality Services, the organizers of this event, Joumana Dammous Salameh, noted that the festival aims at incentivizing the growth of the cooking sector and is an opportunity to remind both Lebanese and foreigners of the healthy and traditional Lebanese cuisine.
The event includes a Chocolate Salon pavilion which is held for the first time in Lebanon after touring France and a number of Asian and world countries.  The opening of this pavilion was attended by the French Ambassador, Patrice Paoli, and included a fashion show of chocolate made clothes offered by Lebanese designers. Finally, a number of USAID-supported rural cooperatives are participating in the Festival within the formwork of the US-funded LIVCD program.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar November 7, 2014