A new war has broken out between Lebanon and Israel – but this time it is over chickpeas and fava beans rather than guns and territory.

A Lebanese official says Lebanon is preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for claiming ownership of traditional dishes it believes are originally Lebanese.

The president of the Lebanese Industrialists' Association, Fadi Abboud, accuses Israel of "stealing" Lebanon's cuisine by marketing dishes such as hummus as its own.

He says that while Lebanon is partly to blame because it has never registered its main food trademarks, Israel's adoption of these dishes causes Lebanon to lose millions of dollars in trade.

Reports in the Arabic media say Abboud is also concerned about Israel's marketing of not just of hummus but falafel and tabbouleh.

Abboud said the lawsuit would be based on the 2002 case in which Greece won a ruling that only its cheese can be called Feta.

Hummus, falafel and tabbouleh are common across the Middle East and attempts to identify their origins are complicated. One legend says that hummus was first prepared in the 12th century by Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria.

The Egyptians are often credited with inventing falafel, while tabbouleh is said to be a product of Ottoman Syria which includes the modern states of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.