Does hummus contain sesame?

Yes. Traditional hummus contains tahini, which is sesame paste.

Does za'atar contain sesame?

Usually yes. Za'atar blends typically contain sesame seeds.

Are pine nuts an allergen?

Pine nuts are not one of the EU's eight listed nuts, but some people are allergic to them. Ask the restaurant to name them.

Is tabbouleh gluten-free?

No. Traditional tabbouleh contains bulgur wheat.

Is falafel gluten-free?

Falafel is usually made from chickpeas or broad beans, but some recipes add flour and it often shares fryer oil. Check both.

Does toum contain egg?

Traditional toum is garlic, oil, lemon and salt, without egg, but some versions use egg white. Ask.

Do stuffed vine leaves contain allergens?

Vegetarian versions usually contain rice, herbs and oil, but some contain pine nuts and meat versions may add other ingredients.

Does shawarma contain allergens?

Usually milk in the marinade, sesame in tahini sauce and wheat in the bread. Check each component.

Does Lebanese bread contain sesame?

Plain pitta usually does not, but manakish with za'atar and some breads are topped with sesame.

Lebanese Food Allergens: where allergens hide and how to order safely

By the Menulta editorial team · Facts checked 15 October 2026 · Updated 15 October 2026

The short answer

Lebanese and Middle Eastern food commonly contains sesame (tahini in hummus, baba ganoush and sauces, za'atar, halva), gluten (pitta, bulgur in tabbouleh and kibbeh, pastries), milk (labneh, yoghurt, halloumi, butter), nuts (pistachios and walnuts in desserts, sometimes in kibbeh and stuffings) and pine nuts, which are not an EU-listed nut. Falafel is often fried in shared oil.

Allergens in Lebanese cooking

Mezze tables combine many small dishes: hummus, baba ganoush, moutabal, tabbouleh, fattoush, labneh, falafel, kibbeh and stuffed vine leaves, served with bread. Tahini (sesame paste) is the base of many dips and sauces, which makes sesame the most widespread allergen in this cuisine.

Pine nuts are a common garnish on hummus, kibbeh and rice. They are not one of the eight nuts in Annex II, but some guests react to them, and other nuts such as pistachios and walnuts appear in desserts and stuffings.

Common Lebanese dishes and their usual allergens

Recipes vary between kitchens, so treat this as a guide to where to look, not a substitute for each restaurant's own allergen record.

Typical allergens in common Lebanese dishes
Dish	Usual allergens	Watch for
Hummus	Sesame	Tahini; pine nut garnish
Baba ganoush, moutabal	Sesame, sometimes milk	Tahini; some versions use yoghurt
Tabbouleh	Gluten	Bulgur wheat
Fattoush	Gluten, sometimes sesame	Fried bread; dressing
Falafel	Sesame (sauce), shared fryer	Tahini sauce; some recipes add flour
Kibbeh	Gluten, sometimes nuts	Bulgur; pine nuts or walnuts in filling
Labneh, halloumi	Milk	Strained yoghurt, cheese
Shawarma	Milk, sesame, gluten	Yoghurt marinade, tahini or garlic sauce, bread
Baklava, maamoul	Nuts, gluten, milk	Pistachio, walnut, butter

Lebanese allergen hot spots

Tahini, shared mezze plates and bread are the main risks.

Tahini in dips, sauces and dressings.
Za'atar, which usually contains sesame seeds.
Shared fryers for falafel, kibbeh and fried bread.
Nut garnishes on desserts and some savoury dishes.

Saying it in Arabic

These phrases help across the Levant (pronunciation varies by country):

'ʿandi ḥassāsiyye min …' – I have an allergy to…
simsim (sesame), ṭaḥīna (tahini), fūl sūdānī (peanuts), mukassarāt (nuts)
ḥalīb (milk), bayḍ (eggs), qamḥ (wheat), samak (fish)
ṣnōbar (pine nuts), fustuq ḥalabi (pistachio), jawz (walnut)

Mezze for guests with allergies

Mezze can be a good choice for allergic guests because the menu offers many small dishes to choose from. For sesame allergy, avoid hummus, baba ganoush, moutabal, tahini sauces and za'atar, and ask about bread toppings; dishes such as grilled meats with garlic sauce (toum, usually made from garlic, oil and lemon), fattoush without tahini dressing and stuffed vine leaves may be suitable. For gluten, avoid bread, tabbouleh, kibbeh and fried bread in fattoush. For milk, avoid labneh, halloumi and yoghurt sauces. Always confirm, because recipes vary between kitchens.

Rice, stuffings and pine nuts

Lebanese rice dishes and stuffings often include toasted pine nuts, almonds and vermicelli (wheat) fried in butter or ghee. A plate of 'rice' may therefore contain nuts, gluten and milk. Ask how the rice is prepared before ordering it as a side.

For the kitchen

Record tahini sauces, dips and spice mixes as components. Mark sesame clearly. Name nuts, including pine nuts, even though they are not an EU-listed nut. Offer individual mezze portions for allergic guests.

Many Lebanese kitchens make tahini sauces, dips and dressings in large batches. Label each batch with its allergens and the date made. Make the toum, salads and grilled meats in a way that keeps tahini off them, so sesame-allergic guests have a real choice. Fry falafel and kibbeh in a fryer separate from chips where possible.

For guests with allergies

Ask which dishes contain tahini, whether za'atar contains sesame, whether falafel shares a fryer, and which nuts are used in kibbeh and desserts.

Order individual portions of dips rather than sharing, ask for bread to be served separately, and check desserts for pistachio, walnut and pine nut.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Guests with an allergy should follow their doctor's advice. Operators should confirm their own setup with their food safety adviser or local authority.