ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Lebanese cooking experiences as an example of a Mediterranean diet by looking at how Lebanese women define cooking practices, learn how to cook, and adapt to changing palettes by adopting new modern recipes while preserving the old. It explores the learning and practicing of cooking skills for Lebanese women living in rural areas, anchored in the food wellbeing approach and inspired by the food socialization and experiential learning theory as a theoretical framework. Food literacy is connected to food socialization. The way people come to learn about food and how to practice it is shaped by their food socialization experiences. Food and its cultural links are learned through a socialization process. A woman’s cooking is thought of as an extension of her care towards others. Moreover, the process of preparing proper meals was understood as an essential part of creating a home and family.
