Tabbouleh is unusual because the herb is the main ingredient. In most salads, the leaves are just a base for the toppings - in tabbouleh, the parsley IS the salad. The cook spends a long time chopping bunch after bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley with a sharp knife, until it is almost like green confetti.
The wheat in tabbouleh is called bulgur - cracked wheat that has been parboiled and dried. The cook soaks just a small handful in water for a few minutes until it is soft, then drains it and stirs it in. The bulgur soaks up the lemon and oil and adds a tiny bit of chewiness.
Lebanese families argue (in a friendly way) about exactly how much of each ingredient should go in. Some grandmothers insist on barely any bulgur and lots of parsley. Others like a bit more tomato. There is even a 'tabbouleh festival' in some Lebanese villages each summer.
Tabbouleh is eaten as part of a mezze. You can eat it with a spoon, but the traditional way is to scoop it up with a leaf of crisp baby gem lettuce - like edible little spoons. The lettuce adds an extra crunch.