Beirut is a city full of fresh produce. In every neighborhood there's a small store that sells in-season vegetables and fruits. In the morning, a vegetable seller drives around my neighborhood in a small truck. Using a tinny loudspeaker, he announces to the neighborhood what he's selling. "Tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce," he repeats, over and over, singing his mantra like an ice cream truck plays "The Entertainer."

When I heard about Beirut's farmer's market, called Souq Al Tayeb, or "market of the good and tasty," I thought, "Well, so what, you can get vegetables all over Beirut!"

But the market encompasses much more. First and foremost, it's homemade Lebanese food. If you go to a Lebanese restaurant in the U.S., you're most probably getting the "restaurant food" of hummus and tabbouleh, chicken kebab and halloumi cheese.

What you don't get at most Lebanese restaurants is a real home-cooked Lebanese meal, like the ones that Lebanese mothers make for their families. They are dishes that are as diverse as the country’s 18 different officially-recognized religious groups.

From the Mediterranean coastal cities filled with fish- and fruit-laden dishes, to the 8,000-foot mountain peaks, where goat, beef and bean dishes dominate, Lebanese cooking is best sampled in Lebanon. Even with the same dish, there are a dozen different ways to prepare it. Which is why Beirut's farmer's market is so much fun.

It brings together many different people from around the country, and hungry visitors like me can often get a sample by just inquiring about what the dish is. The vendors are usually more than happy to tout that their tradition of making, let's say, Moujadara, a hearty mountain dish of lentils, caramelized onions olive oil and bulgur, is the best.

The market keeps these unique, regional traditions alive, and brings them into the heart of the city. It's also impressive to see so many people, from different places in Lebanon and from Lebanon's different political and religious groups, all brought together by a shared affinity for food.

Do you have a favorite Lebanese restaurant, recipe or food story? Please click the "comment" button below and share it with the rest of us!