Lebanon's $425 grilled chicken wrap sparks controversy and highlights social gap between rich and poor

(Central News Agency, Beirut, comprehensive foreign news report on the 25th) Seven years after the financial crisis broke out in Lebanon, a grilled chicken roll costing about US$13 (approximately NT$425) sparked a debate, highlighting the growing disparity in the spending power of local people in a country deeply affected by political and economic turmoil and military conflicts.

Reuters reported that The Glow Paradise, a restaurant in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has launched a healthy version of grilled chicken wraps for customers who are concerned about calories. This new meal is called Chic Taouk. A portion costs about $13, which is almost twice the price of ordinary local chicken wraps.

Critics blasted the restaurant's pricey Chic Taouk as overpriced in a country where many families struggle to afford basic living expenses.

Despite the controversy caused by Chic Taouk on social media, customers are still flocking to it. The operating partner of The Glow Paradise stated that they sold more than 20,000 copies of Chic Taouk in just 11 days.

Such contradictory reactions have touched the sensitive nerves of Lebanese society. Years of financial turmoil, political paralysis and military conflict have reshaped the country's social fabric, hollowing out the middle class and leaving only a handful of people able to maintain a wealthy lifestyle.

Sami Nader, an economist at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, pointed out that the busy scene at The Glow Paradise masks another layer of reality. "You see the crowds in the restaurants, but you don't see that 22 restaurants closed last month."

Lebanese netizens are divided into two groups on Instagram. One group accuses the restaurant of "stealing money", while the other group believes that Chic Taouk was originally intended to be sold to those who can afford it.

Some question whether arguing over chicken tacos misses the point at a time when the country still faces pressing crises, whether it's Israel's occupation of large swaths of the south or the long-running power and water crisis.

Decades of corruption and profligacy by Lebanon’s ruling elite led to Lebanon’s financial collapse in 2019. Subsequently, Lebanon fell into several military conflicts, worsening the country’s economic prospects.