The prestige fish of the Lebanese table. Braq is the market name you will hear in Beirut; laqqos is the older classical Arabic word for the same fish, and an older recipe is more likely to use it. In the United States it is sold under its Italian name: branzino.
Also known as laqqos · lakkous · branzino · European sea bass · loup de mer
- Arabicبراقbraq / laqqos
- Arabic namesبراق (braq) · لقوص (laqqos)
- EnglishEuropean sea bass
- Ask for it asBranzino in the US; loup de mer in France
- Scientific nameDicentrarchus labrax
- CookedWhole — grilled, or baked in a salt crust
The Ingredient Atlas, in your pocket
Every Sofra recipe is free to read here on the web. The app carries an Ingredient Atlas covering Braq and dozens more Levantine ingredients — in English, Arabic and Portuguese, with the name in French and Spanish too — alongside a free collection of 112 recipes to cook from.
Get Sofra — free download →What it tastes and smells like
Clean, elegant and faintly sweet, with white flesh that flakes into large pieces rather than shredding. It is milder than danis and holds its shape even better, which is why it survives a salt crust and comes out of it intact.
Baked whole in rock salt with herbs is one of the great preparations of this coast: the crust sets hard, the fish steams inside its own skin, and it is broken open at the table.
What it is used in
- Samak bil Forn — Oven-Baked Fish with Onion and TomatoLebanese coast · Levantine
- Whole Baked Fish in Tahini SauceLebanese coast · Levantine
- South Lebanese Grilled Fish with Herb SauceSouth Lebanon · Levantine
- SayadiehLebanese coast · Levantine
- Kibbeh Samakieh — Fish Kibbeh from Tripoli
- Tripoli-Style Spicy Fish
- Samke Harra
- TaratorLebanese coast · Levantine
How to buy and store it
The two Lebanese names cause more confusion than the fish deserves. Braq and laqqos are the same species — one is the everyday market word, the other the classical term. If a recipe calls for either, buy branzino.
It is now farmed widely across the Mediterranean, so a good whole fish is available year round and no longer expensive. Judge it as you would any whole fish: clear domed eyes, red gills, firm springy flesh, clean sea smell. Italian counters and better fish markets are the most reliable source in the US.
If you cannot find it
- Danis, sold as dorade perfectThe other whole white fish of the same coast, and a direct swap in any preparation.
- Black sea bass goodDifferent species, similar size and texture. Widely available on the US east coast.
- Rainbow trout acceptableRoughly the right size for whole-fish cooking. Softer flesh and a different flavour.
Frequently asked questions
What is braq fish?
Braq is the Lebanese market name for European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax — a clean, mildly sweet white fish cooked whole. It is the same fish as laqqos, and it is sold in the United States as branzino.
What is laqqos?
Laqqos is the older classical Arabic name for the same fish that Lebanese markets call braq: European sea bass. Older recipes and more formal writing tend to use laqqos; the fish counter will say braq.
Is branzino the same as braq or laqqos?
Yes. Branzino is the Italian name for European sea bass, and it is the name the fish is most often sold under in the United States. Braq, laqqos, branzino and loup de mer are all the same species.
What can I use instead of braq?
Danis — gilthead sea bream, sold as dorade — is a direct swap and comes from the same coast. Black sea bass works well in the United States.
How is braq cooked in Lebanon?
Whole, almost always. Grilled over charcoal, or baked in a hard rock-salt crust with herbs and broken open at the table.
How do I choose a good whole sea bass?
Clear, slightly domed eyes; gills that are red rather than brown; flesh that springs back when you press it; and a smell of clean seawater, never of ammonia.