White Flour

White flour is a pantry staple made by milling wheat and removing most of the bran and germ, leaving a fine, light powder. It is the base of countless everyday recipes in Lebanese kitchens, from home-baked bread and man'oushe dough to cakes, biscuits, pastries and sweets. It is also used to thicken sauces and soups and to coat vegetables, meat or fish before frying. At Dekenet Al Nes, a package-free grocery store in Baaqline in the Chouf, white flour is sold by the kilo. Customers are encouraged to bring their own containers or bags and fill up the amount they need, which helps cut plastic waste and single-use packaging. Dekenet Al Nes is a solidarity initiative started by a group of Lebanese young people to make basic necessities affordable while reducing environmental costs.