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Gandour’s 170-year arc
L'Orient Today profiles Gandour as a local company whose biscuits and chocolates have become part of Lebanon’s culinary heritage for nearly 170 years.
“Perhaps that is the company’s greatest achievement since its founding in 1857: transforming a family name into a shared cultural language.”
The article says the company’s story traces back to its founding in 1857 and describes Gandour as turning “a family name into a shared cultural language.”
It places Gandour products in everyday settings like “a school bag, a desk drawer, a kitchen cupboard,” and on shelves in neighborhood shops and supermarkets.
The piece also says the biscuits and sweets have endured “decades of upheaval, crises, and wars,” spanning generations, neighborhoods, and social classes.
The current range of Gandour biscuits is described as having been “around for 170 years,” with a credit to Jad Abu Jaoudeh/ L'Orient-Le Jour for the image.
Products named, places pictured
The L'Orient Today text lists recognizable Gandour items including “A red 555 box, a Unica bar, a Tarboosh, or a handful of Marie biscuits.”
It frames Gandour’s presence as so familiar that the products are “almost part of the landscape” in Lebanon.
“A red 555 box, a Unica bar, a Tarboosh, or a handful of Marie biscuits are enough to bring...”
In the French version, L'Orient-Le Jour similarly describes Gandour as a name that “n’évoque plus seulement une lignée, mais tout un univers de biscuits, de chocolats et de confiseries.”
That French article also repeats the idea that the sweets circulate with an “évidence devenue presque invisible” through everyday spaces like school bags, office drawers, and kitchen cupboards.
Both versions situate the brand’s endurance across “décennies” and “crises et les guerres,” presenting Gandour as woven into daily routines rather than a short-lived novelty.
Publication details and framing
L'Orient Today credits the Gandour profile to Gilles KHOURY and dates it “28 July 2026 09:08,” describing it as the fourth installment of a series.
“L'OLJ / By Gilles KHOURY, 28 July 2026 09:08”
The same page includes a subscription prompt stating, “Stay informed for only $40,” and notes the article is “only available to L’Orient Today subscribers.”
L'Orient-Le Jour presents the French-language version as “le 27 juillet 2026 à 21h00,” again credited to Gilles KHOURY, and labels it as part of the “Iconiques” dossier.
In that French text, the company is described as having transformed a surname into “un langage commun, compris de tous,” tying the brand’s identity to shared recognition.
The Today page also includes additional “Special portfolio 'Iconic': The everyday products the Lebanese grew up with” entries such as Cortina ice cream since 1965 and CLIPP since 1960, reinforcing the series’ focus on long-running consumer staples.