The UAE is a multifaceted and very interesting country. The young state, which has created all the conditions for its guests, is becoming increasingly popular. Luxury lovers go there for oriental chic, active tourists for an extraordinary pastime, and gourmets for gourmet Arabic cuisine.
United Arab Emirates. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paolo_rosa/
However, in addition to the Arab national cuisine, there are also cuisines of other countries. The combination of large and small European cafes and restaurants with local oriental flavor will delight even the most sophisticated tourist.
Some tourists compared their trip to the UAE with a trip to a fairy tale. To feel the spirit of the East, you need to try the cuisine of this country at least once.
Features of UAE cuisine
Visible freedom should not mislead the traveler. The UAE is a Muslim country, so all life here is influenced by Islam.
For example, you should be aware of the month of Ramadan (Ramadan), in which it is allowed to eat only after sunset and before sunrise. During this period, restaurants usually open only at dusk, in particular after 8 pm. In 2013 Ramadan will fall between July 11 and August 9.
In the UAE, there are restrictions on the consumption of pork. You will not find pork in ordinary restaurants. If you are not a Muslim and want a pork chop, you will have to find a specialty restaurant where they will prepare it for you.
street food
It is better to start acquaintance with the national cuisine of the UAE on the street. Numerous tents and small cafes offer a variety of snacks and small full meals. All dishes purchased on the street are mostly wrapped in Arabic bread - pita bread, which has a flat shape. But another type of bread is also common - pita (round buns).
Pete. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaica/
One of delicious dishes with bread is called Manakish. This is a melted cheese with olives and herbs, which is wrapped in pita bread or pita bread. It is sold hot, and after the manakish has cooled down, it is eaten with the hands.
Manakish. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiragnd/
And this is an Arabic dish called Falafel. It is popular not only in street cafes, but also on every family table in the Emirates. Tender balls of mashed chickpeas are dipped in flour and fried in olive oil. To decorate and give an even more appetizing look, falafel is served on fresh lettuce leaves or wrapped in pita bread.
Falafel. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65633948@N00/
The world-famous Shawarma (shawarma) came to us from the East. It is sold literally in all countries, and each has its own name and filling. You will not find meat-free shawarma in the UAE, but in other countries, vegetables can also be wrapped in lettuce leaves.
A bench with a shawarma. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edmundito/
In a real Arabic Shawarma, chicken is fried and wrapped in pita bread with vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, garlic and cucumber), olive oil, pepper, paprika are used.
For lovers of Shawarma, who have already tried this dish in other countries, it will be interesting to try the Arabic version.
Spices in the UAE
If you try a dish unfamiliar to yourself, be sure to take into account local culinary traditions: in the UAE, seasonings are added to food in very large quantities. Both in fashionable restaurants and in a small tent on the street, the food will be equally spicy, generously seasoned.
Of the seasonings, coriander, cinnamon, sesame, cumin, chili, curry are most often used.
Spices at a bazaar in the UAE. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsa11/
The variety of spices presented in the Arab bazaars is amazing, and all of them can be tasted before you buy. Moreover, you will be treated even to those that you did not plan to buy.
Snacks "Meze"
In the East, it is not customary to rush. Both the conversation and the meal start from afar: therefore, before the main course, you will be offered several snacks: vegetable salads, eggplant caviar (mutabbal, baba ganush), cheese or meat pies, nut and garlic pastes, corn and wheat porridge.
Arabic Meze. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riwayat/
All this will be served to you on a large dish, divided into cells. These small portions are meze. By the way, some restaurants serve vegetables in meze for free.
Fish in the UAE
The UAE is washed by the waters of the Persian and Oman Gulfs; when visiting this country, you will feel that you have arrived in a maritime power.
There is a huge variety of fish dishes. Many restaurants rely not on meat, but on seafood. The buffet system is popular in them, where the fish lies on special tables in ice. In other establishments, you can find aquariums in which your potential, as yet, live "dinner" swims.
Seafood restaurant in the UAE. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asimchoudhri/
One of the most popular lunch dishes is Briki. This is a dish of fish (sometimes minced lamb) or shrimp fried in the thinnest puff pastry. Briki is molded from dough in the shape of triangles and served with lemon slices and herbs.
Arabic Brik. Photo: promotunisia.com
Another equally interesting fish dish is the famous Al Madruba, boiled salted fish. When cooking, spices and flour are added. Al Madruba is served on the table with a sauce that emphasizes its unusual salty taste, thanks to which this fish is especially popular.
Fish is also cooked in a hundred other ways: dried, fish "kebabs", grilled. And they certainly fill it with delicious sauces, hot spices and fresh vegetables, which make them even tastier and more refined.
Seafood in the UAE. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephchan749/
Other seafood is also popular - lobster, shrimp, crabs, barracuda, tuna, hamur - sea bass. You can even find a shark on the menu.
Meat dishes
Chicken, lamb, veal, lamb... A rich selection of meat products that will satisfy any gourmet. Basically, meat in this country is consumed in the form of kebabs, and sometimes several types of meat are combined in one serving.
Cooking meat on the grill. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhisheksrivastava/
“Lamb shish kebab” - this is what is written on the menu in Arab restaurants. Often there are no explanations or names, so you can only hope that this is exactly the kebab you were looking for. However, if you are in the United Arab Emirates, then you should not worry about the quality of meat and excellent taste.
Kebab. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/redwackyworm/
The meat is always fresh and tender. Especially lamb, which is beaten in advance and marinated for several hours in lemon juice. Then it is fried without the use of fat, many spices are added and served with a suitable sauce. Having tried this dish, you will forever remember what a real barbecue is.
Biryani is a national Arabic dish. It, for sure, was tried by everyone who has ever been to the UAE. Local chefs do not just cook Biryani excellently, there are restaurants specializing in it.
This is a rice dish with meat (chicken, lamb), vegetables or fish. Be sure to have a large amount of spices that are fried in the pan first. On the fried spices put meat cut into strips (fish, vegetables), and on top - rice.
Biryani with lamb. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29412850@N05/
For this dish, they take rice of a certain variety - basmati, because of its long and thin grains. Sometimes pistachios and raisins are added to Biryani, as well as cloves. In general, this dish is similar to pilaf, so it will not seem exotic.
Dessert
The UAE, as one of the eastern countries, is rich in sweets and various spices. Pistachio puddings, raisin bread pies, cheese pies, honey donuts, dates, date honey, donuts with custard, halvah, Turkish delight… You can't even list them all.
Arabic sweets. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guuleed/
This is the largest sweet shop in Dubai, which is famous far beyond the borders of the country. Its area is about 1000 sq. meters.
Candylicious store. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47391741@N04/
But unfortunately, national sweets are not presented there. Mainly candy different countries world, and from the local - only fresh Dubai cakes.
If you want to buy real oriental delicacies, you have a direct road to the bazaar. In the shops with sweets, tourists have not been surprised for a long time, who buy kilograms of local delicacies to take home as souvenirs.
Dates are very useful for digestive system so they are eaten several times a day. For example, dates with almonds are served for breakfast and are offered to guests with tea in the evening. To do this, the seeds are taken out of the fruit and almonds are put in their place. Those with a sweet tooth eat dates with honey, chocolate and butter.
Dates with almonds. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexander/
Umm ali (omm ali) is a festive Arabic dish. It is served as a dessert for tea on a day off or prepared for important guests. This bread pudding is soaked in fruit syrup or rose petal water, large nuts, raisins and dried fruits are added.
Dessert Umm Ali. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bakingobsessions/
Umm ali is one of the oriental delicacies that is most popular among tourists.
If Umm Ali pudding can be classified as the least sweet dish in the UAE, then pistachio baklava is one of the sweetest. To prevent an excessive sweet taste from remaining in your mouth, drink it with tea.
Beverages
In the hot Emirates, of course, you always want to drink. There you will always find natural juices from all kinds of fruits, as well as their mixtures. In the tents on the streets, where fruit juice is squeezed, there are usually at least 5-8 kinds.
Coffee shop in the UAE. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nidserz/
Coffee in the UAE is a ritual. There are so many coffee houses in the cities that it will not be difficult for you to find them even with your eyes closed - by smell. Locals visit coffee shops at least once a day.
To make the guest relax with a cup of coffee, local coffee houses make every effort. In a good institution there will definitely be twilight and an atmosphere conducive to relaxation.
Arabic coffee. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/miemo/
The most sought-after coffee in the UAE is light Arabian. Its main feature is that it is brewed from unroasted coffee beans.
Tea is also drunk, but less. Mostly after a heavy meat lunch or dinner. It is served in special tea cups. common green tea, mint and sage for soothing properties.
You will not see alcohol in free sale in this country. Not even in every hotel you can drink a glass of wine or a glass of beer. Alcohol in the UAE is sold only in hotels licensed to sell alcohol.
Non-alcoholic beer in the UAE. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drytimes/
However, for a country like the UAE, the presence of alcohol is not so important. The antiquity of traditions and the richness of Arab culture will inspire you for a long time to other travels and further searches for the unknown.
In the Emirates, you will try dishes rich in healthy spices, plunge into the magical peaceful atmosphere of Arabic coffee houses, see as many sweets in the bazaars as you have never seen in your entire life.
For you, we have opened only one side of this multifaceted state, now it's up to you to see and feel it live. Have a nice trip, bon appetit!
Contrary to popular belief, Arabs are not a single people. This is only a collective name for the Semitic peoples, who, for historical reasons, united into a single Arabic-speaking people.
IN modern world Arabs live in North Africa and western Asia. Different cultures under the influence of the Arab Caliphate and Islamic culture gained common features, but still retained their characteristics.
Today, Arabic cuisine most often refers to Lebanese and Syrian cuisines. The latter is most common in the United Arab Emirates and is known far beyond the Middle East region as classic Arabic cuisine. In general, Arabic cuisine is conventionally divided into three components: Mediterranean, Syrian and Arabian.
The culinary traditions of the indigenous inhabitants of the Arab states (Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya) have some differences and at the same time many common features, such as the use of the same ingredients, the same methods of cooking similar dishes. Moreover, some of them are almost identical, only the names differ from region to region. For example, an Iraqi dish kuzi called in Syria haruf beer-rizz, and in the Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) - this is known to many couscous. That is why it is customary to talk about a single Arab national cuisine.
Arabian cuisine
The Arab tribes on the Arabian Peninsula were originally with a meager and rather monotonous cuisine. With the beginning of a settled way of life and the establishment of contacts with other peoples and countries, the range of products increased, respectively, new dishes began to appear.
The main Bedouin diet is usually legumes (beans, lentils), dates, bread (flat cakes), milk (goat or camel), rice appeared later. Few people eat meat on ordinary days - this is a product exclusively for big holidays. During weddings or in honor of the birth of a child, according to tradition, the goat is baked whole and served with boiled rice.
It is sometimes said that "Arabs live on dates, bread, rice and milk." But this is far from the case for a long time, unless we are talking about nomadic Bedouins. Arabic culture, and with it culinary, like a sponge absorbed the best traditions of other civilizations, including Persian, Indian and Ottoman. This gives it sophistication and makes it unique in its own way.
Syrian cuisine
Every Russian is more or less familiar with it from the widespread and well-known shawarma. True, in our country it is rarely prepared correctly and more often it only vaguely resembles original dish. It's not so much the ingredients, but the cooking process. For example, only a heated cake is spread with yogurt or butter, and only then the filling is put into it.
Syrian cuisine is distinguished by the fact that the dishes here consist of finely chopped ingredients, they like to stuff vegetables. Grain crops, fresh vegetables are widely used, olive oil is a favorite. Many dishes are time-consuming: they go through several stages of cooking. However, it is Syrian cuisine that is distinguished by dietary dishes. Here the food is not as greasy and spicy as the rest. There are no separate soups or side dishes, many dishes are a kind of mix.
Dairy products are often used for cooking. One of the famous yogurt dishes - lyabna. It is a thick yogurt seasoned with olive oil, mint and pickled cheese.
When the hostess wants to be praised more, she treats guests with dishes using yogurt. The fact is that yogurt is very difficult to cook: it must be constantly stirred over low heat, not for a minute leaving the stove.
Syrian cuisine is rich in sweets and desserts. Probably, in this she surpasses other peoples. The most common oriental sweet is baklava which is also very popular here. Also popular with Syrians sherbet(Sorbet), which is diverse. You can select a dessert like kunafa- dough with nuts, cream or cheese, filled with syrup.
Mediterranean Kitchen
It is customary to attribute the cooking of the Maghreb to Mediterranean Arabic cuisine. Although traditional Arabian-Syrian dishes have become an integral part of the Maghreb cuisine, they are not the main ones in this region. Here you can taste the national dishes of the Mediterranean European countries, you can also feel the presence of the traditional diet of the peoples of Africa.
A feature of the Arabs of Morocco and Algeria is the wide use of spices. Most often, they use red (hot) and black pepper, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and saffron. More than anywhere else in the Arab world, the Maghreb uses fish and other seafood.
Sharia allows eating, therefore, for example, in Morocco, it is a kind of delicacy. Locusts are even called "desert shrimp" here. It is said that in a well-dried state, this insect tastes like a tender smoked herring. In desert areas, locusts are baked over a fire, some make flatbreads out of them, and some even add locusts to main dishes such as couscous.
Maghreb Arabs are very fond of soups and stews. The most common national dish of lentils is called harira. It is often prepared for iftar in the holy month of Ramadan.
On the Maghribin table, there are obligatory cold appetizers, of which there are also a great many. As usual, the difference in the feast of rich and less wealthy families lies in the quantity and ingredients of the dishes. And only the main dish - couscous is both everyday and festive, the food of both the poor and the rich. The most common side dish in the Maghreb is served with meat and vegetable gravy. They put in it butter, and sometimes just sour milk - it all depends on the financial situation of the owners.
Another everyday dish, common, in particular, in Libya, is called asida(or base). This is porridge made from corn, barley or wheat flour, brewed with boiling water. Some people add ghee and honey to it, sheep or camel fat can serve as a substitute.
In general, Maghribin Arabic cuisine is very unusual and simple at the same time. And in every region where the Arabs live, there is a “local imprint” that makes their traditional cuisine unique.
Located at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, Egypt has a lot to offer delicious and original. Egyptian cuisine absorbed dishes from other eastern countries, Egyptian culinary specialists adapted the recipes of Turkish, Lebanese, Syrian and Greek cuisines to Egyptian tastes. Simple national dishes are prepared with a lot of fresh and ripe fruits and vegetables, and are seasoned with a small amount of spices, although Egyptian dishes are rarely spicy.
Each meal is accompanied by bread, which is called "aish". Traditional bread "aish baladi" (Balady bread) is a round and fragrant wholemeal flatbread, rolled in ground wheat. It is split in half like a Greek pita and filled with various fillings. And of course, it is an integral part of mezze - snacks that you can order in many restaurants. Dip slices of bread in baba ghannuugh (eggplant dip with olive oil and garlic), hummus (chickpea paste) and tahina then try cold or hot wara inab, vine leaf rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, and snack on different salads: torshi (pickled vegetable salad) and tabulah (bulgur salad, parsley, tomato and onion dressed with lemon juice and olive oil).
Together with bread daily diet includes legumes, fuul. They are prepared in different ways, for example in fuul midamess, when the beans are boiled with vegetables and bean puree is made with tomatoes, onions and spices. This dish is served with an egg for breakfast, and without an egg for lunch or dinner. You can buy Fuul stuffed bread from stalls on the street.
Chickpeas and beans are part of many national dishes, they are ground or mashed into a paste and added to tahini and hummus with lots of garlic.
There is no Egyptian dinner without rice and bread. Most Egyptians use meat in small quantities and cook it with vegetables or serve it with rice. With lamb or beef, make torly, a vegetable goulash with onion, marjoram and lemon juice. Very popular are kofta - minced meatballs with spices and onions, which are put on skewers and served with traditional side dishes: rice, lentils, herbs, tomato salad, tahini sauce and bread.
Due to the proximity of the Red Sea, a wide variety of fish dishes can be found in Egyptian cuisine. The most common dish in restaurants is fish platter. There are a lot of specialized fish restaurants. In addition to regular perch, try shrimp (hambari), squid (calamari), scallops (gandofli) and eel (ti "baan). Tender deep-fried eel meat can be easily bought from street vendors.
Rice and vegetables
Rice is often cooked with nuts, onions, and vegetables. In Egyptian cuisine, it is customary to stuff green leafy vegetables with various mixtures of rice, such as wara inab, vine leaf rolls stuffed with a mixture of spiced rice with a little minced meat. A traditional salad, unchanged for the Egyptian table, is chopped tomatoes, coriander, mint, some green hot peppers and onions seasoned with garlic oil. With eggplant, which is the main ingredient of baba ganoush, the Egyptian dish mussaka is also prepared: fried eggplants are layered with minced meat, sprinkled with cheese and baked. Recipes often use okra, white and cauliflower and potatoes, such as stewed with tomatoes and garlic.
Hamaam - grilled pigeon stuffed with rice - is considered a national delicacy. They are specially grown in different parts of Egypt. Since the pigeons are small, you need to order several at once, but they are difficult to eat, like any small bird. The most delicious pigeons are cooked in small local restaurants.
Egyptian desserts are usually drenched in honey syrup. Baklava (phyllo dough rolls with nuts and honey) is the least sweet of all desserts. You'll also find fatir pancakes with fillings ranging from eggs to apricots, and the extremely sweet dessert basbousa, which is made from semolina dough soaked in honey and sprinkled with hazelnuts. At the end of the meal, many homes and restaurants serve fresh fruit: fresh figs, dates (of which there are more than 200 different varieties and sizes), oranges and pomegranates.
Coffee has always been and remains a national tradition - locals often gather in cafes to drink coffee, discuss the latest news, play backgammon and listen to Egyptian music.
A special treat is fruit juices. Small shop owners often mix fruit juices with ice and sugar syrup to make delicious drinks for hot weather.
As in any Muslim country, alcohol is not welcome and is very expensive for tourists. However, Stella, the local beer, is mild-tasting and comes in large bottles, perfect to quench your thirst in this hot country.
Wine cream and papyrus.
Take a few eggs, break them, mix with melted honey and fresh grape juice. Boil red wine and mix with all ingredients. Then whisk everything until foamy. Lastly, add the pomegranate seeds.
The recipe belongs to the ancient Egyptians and is written on papyrus.
Some Egyptian names of dishes and products:
Tahini - sesame seed paste
Babaghanoush - eggplant puree with olive oil and garlic
Ta "ameya - cutlets with a side dish of beans
Kofta - minced lamb or beef cutlets
Kebab - well marinated lamb or beef grilled on skewers
Kalaoui - fried kidneys
Mayya ma "daniyya - water
Ahwa - coffee
Baklava - phyllo dough rolls stuffed with nuts and honey
Hamaam - pigeons
Torly - vegetable goulash with onions, potatoes, beans and peas
Hummus - chickpea paste (chickpeas)
Fuul - thick bean sauce
Aish or aysh - Egyptian bread
Of course, native Arab citizens are happy to eat Middle Eastern, Indian, and European food. But in most cases, they honor their culinary traditions.
Eating Emirati cuisine is an expensive pleasure, much cheaper than local fast food or cheap cafes for migrants (read our review “”). Most tourists visit the national restaurant once per vacation just to try it. And it’s worth trying, the Emirati cuisine is unique, shaped by desert conditions and the centuries-old influence of neighboring cultures.
Ingredients and features
Emirati cuisine has absorbed elements of Bedouin, Middle Eastern, Persian, Indian and several other Asian culinary traditions.
For centuries, the basis of the diet of the locals was fish and seafood. However, fish dishes in the Emirati cuisine do not differ in variety and color. The main fish dish is fish fried with spices.
The second important component is dates. They are eaten before a meal for an aperitif, after a meal for an aftertaste. Dates are added to many dishes for a slightly sweet taste. And, of course, dates are used in all dessert dishes. Read our article "".
From meat, mutton and lamb are most often used, less often beef and goat meat.
Pork is not used in Emirati cuisine for religious reasons. However, you can buy pork and pork delicacies, some supermarkets have special departments.
Chicken and chicken eggs appeared in the diet of UAE residents relatively recently - after the oil boom in the 70s. Prior to this, they used the meat of birds “Arabian hubara” or “bustard”. This is a rather large bird, male hubars are the size of a turkey, females are the size of a chicken. Now hubars are listed in the Red Book.
Camel milk is not as popular with the native Arabs now as it used to be when there was no alternative to it. Camel milk is almost never used in cooking, it is customary to drink it separately.
Now you can buy fresh camel milk in any large store in the UAE, and even pasteurized camel milk has appeared, which we talked about in the article “”.
Rice occupies an important place in the Emirati cuisine. Interesting fact that rice does not grow in the UAE, there is not a large amount of water needed here. Rice is grown only as an experiment on one indoor farm in.
Emirati Arabs have been eating rice for centuries, after establishing close trade ties with Persia and India. This proves to us that the Arabs of the Persian Gulf have never been poor, they have been eating imported rice for centuries.
The main seasonings are kukrum, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon. All these spices are originally from India and Iran and appeared in the Emirati cuisine several centuries ago. The UAE has its own national seasoning called “bezar” – a mixture of cumin, coriander, dill, pepper and cinnamon. In Emirati cuisine, the leaves of the prosopis plant are used as a seasoning, most often for dishes with poultry.
The main method of cooking is to stew whole dishes in a pot. This method is common in hot countries in order to wash fewer dishes, water is in short supply.
Arabic cuisine includes the cuisines of the Middle East, as well as the Arabian Peninsula. Many experts argue that in order to get to know the features of the traditional Arabic cuisine, no need to go to some expensive restaurants. It is enough to visit some cafe or look into a street tent. Here you can find various lunches as well as snacks.
Arab national cuisine is oversaturated with a variety of delicacies, which are characterized by rather unusual tastes and aromas. No dish is identical to another.
If you decide to visit the United Arab Emirates, then it's worth trying a little bit of everything to understand what you liked the most and what you can cook when you get home.
On the site you will find various step-by-step photo recipes that explain how to cook this or that dish of Arabic cuisine with your own hands at home.
Recipes with photos
- Pita homemade
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Jezerye carrot candy -
Beef up your sleeve -
Eggplant with minced meat in a pan -
Lamb with beans -
Kebbe
Features of national dishes of Arabic cuisine
The peculiarities of the national dishes of Arab cuisine is that it has a huge number of various recipes for products, where rice is the main ingredient, since the Arabs are very fond of this product. Also, first courses (harira, beizar), snacks (falafel, manakish), as well as fish (briki) and meat (biryani, haris) delicacies are widely popular here.
It is worth clarifying that the cuisine of the Arab countries is conditionally divided into cuisines:
- Arabian. This cuisine is replete with legumes (lentils, beans), milk (camel, goat), rice, baked goods (flatbread) and dates. On ordinary days, Bedouins very rarely eat meat products. This product is usually served at the table only on big holidays. If someone has a child or a wedding is planned, then, according to tradition, in honor of the celebration, the whole goat is baked and served with boiled rice.
- Mediterranean. Includes Maghreb cooking. This cuisine is famous for the fact that fragrant spices such as saffron, cumin, cinnamon, black red pepper, and ginger are added to almost every dish. In addition, fish and seafood are often eaten in the Maghreb. Maghreb people also prefer to eat soups and stews. The most famous and popular first course is harira, made from lentils.
- Syrian. Syrian cuisine is famous for its well-known shawarma, which requires special preparation. It is necessary to grease a warm cake with butter or yogurt, and then only lay out the filling. In addition, the cuisine of the Syrian people is characterized by the fact that in order to create some kind of delicacy, the ingredients must be cut into small pieces. Vegetables are mostly stuffed. Also, locals are very fond of eating cereals and olive oil. Some products undergo several relatively complex cooking steps. Remarkably, food in Syrian cuisine, unlike other Arab cuisines, is not very spicy and greasy. There are no side dishes or soups as such. Most delicacies are a mix. For the manufacture of various products, sour-milk drinks are often taken, for example, lyabne, which is a thick consistency yogurt, which is seasoned with olive oil, pickled cheese and mint. In addition, Syrian cuisine is full of various desserts (baklava, sherbet). The most famous delicacy is kunafa - a dough with nuts, cheese or cream, poured with syrup.
The culinary masterpieces of the Arab states (Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria and Iraq) differ from each other and at the same time have several similar features, namely the use of the same products, as well as the same methods of preparing similar products. . By the way, some of them are prepared identically, differ only in name. For example, an Iraqi delicacy called “kuzi” is called “kharuf bir-rizz” in Syrian cuisine, but in the cities of the Maghreb this product is known as “cous-cous”. That is why experts talk about the common national Arab cuisine.
Traditional Arabic cuisine is characterized by the fact that lamb is often used as a meat ingredient. In addition, the Arabs eat poultry, but rarely eat veal. Due to the fact that Islam is widespread in Arab countries, pork is forbidden to be eaten.
The highlight of Arabic cuisine is the specific heat treatment food. Most meat delicacies are made without the use of fat. To do this, the frying utensils are strongly heated (up to approximately three hundred degrees), then the meat pieces are laid out, which, touching the heated surface of the container, are covered with a thin golden crust at lightning speed. By the way, this crust does not allow the meat juice to evaporate. In this regard, the meat always turns out incredibly tender and juicy. Sometimes pieces of meat are first fried in a dry, well-heated pan, and then fried in fat. As a side dish for meat, Arabs like to serve boiled rice, stewed or fried vegetables to the table.
Also in Arabic cuisine, a special place is occupied by cheeses (somewhat reminiscent of cheese), eggs and sour-milk products.
As for the diet, most of the peoples of the Arab countries prefer to eat twice a day. Breakfast must be hearty, lunch comes before or after the sun goes down.
Lunch on holidays generally begins with berries such as melon or watermelon. After that, bintas-sahn (sweet dough, which is poured with butter and honey on top), boiled meat product with a spicy sauce, or lamb are served at the table. The broth is served at the end of the meal. For a snack, they eat fresh or pickled vegetables, game, watermelon seeds, nuts and much more. In addition, it is customary to serve helba for lunch (spicy sauce, which includes seasonings and mustard).
It is worth noting that during the feast you need to eat only right hand and only those products that the owner of the house offers.
In many recipes of the cuisine of Saudi Arabia, fruits are found, in particular dates, which play an important role, as well as cereals. From such a fruit, paste is often made, stored for twelve months. In rare cases, date paste is combined with barley flour. Also, the Arab people prefer to eat dried or dried dates.
Secrets of cooking homemade products: soups and main dishes
There are not too many secrets to cooking homemade products such as soups and main dishes. As for hot dishes, the Arab people prefer to eat soups cooked in meat broth, which also includes rice, potatoes, beans, capers or peas.
Soup preparation technology implies the following. Before sending the meat to boil, the product is fried in a pan without adding fat, then it is completely poured with cool water and set to cook until fully cooked. Prepared vegetables are placed in a ready-made and filtered broth.
It is worth noting that soups should definitely be served with kubbe (flat cake stuffed with meat, made from a dark grade of wholemeal flour) or several varieties of sambusa (patties in the form of a triangle). The filling for each type will be different:
cheese is put in the jabna;
meat stuffing is used in lyakhma;
spinach is taken in sabeneh;
vegetable stuffing is placed in hudar.
Among the traditional main dishes, meat, fish delicacies, as well as seafood stand out.
For example, chefs can dry fish, grill it, or cook it in the form of a kebab. Vegetables are often a side dish for a fish delicacy. Hot spices with spicy sauces will give a zest to the taste. In Arabic restaurants, you can try barracuda, lobster, shark, tuna, as well as various varieties of shrimp.
Meat products are not inferior to fish. There are a lot of different recipes for making dishes from veal, sheep meat, chicken and other, more exotic types of meat in the national Arab cuisine. Most tourists, coming to the United Arab Emirates, first of all want to try kebab. This dish is quite popular in Arabic cuisine, and it is very popular with the locals. The product can be prepared in different ways. However, the taste of the finished product will always be excellent. Sometimes kebabs are made from several types of meat. Arabs love to cook classic recipe lamb shish kebab marinated in lemon juice and herbs. Remarkably, such a fried dish without the use of fat requires a special sauce.
Also in meat products, in addition to seasonings, almonds, raisins and figs can be added.
Do not forget that in this cuisine, pilaf made from rice and sheep meat is quite in demand. The composition also includes almonds, figs and raisins.
In addition, burgul is often prepared - this is corn porridge, which is either poured with sour milk or served at the table along with small pieces of meat.
Traditional salads, desserts, sauces and appetizers
Traditional salads, desserts, sauces and appetizers of the national Arab cuisine are characterized by excellent taste and a fairly simple recipe. Among the desserts, the most popular and widely demanded are:
baklava ( puff pastry with nuts, sprinkled with syrup);
halva (made from seeds, granulated sugar and nuts);
candied fruits (fruits that are boiled in sugar syrup).
In addition, in Arabic cuisine there are recipes for creating pies with various fillings, pies with cheese, nuts or raisins, candied fruits, honey, cream donuts.
Also a favorite sweet delicacy of the Arabs are dates, poured with honey or chocolate. Such fruits are very often used to make cakes, which are consumed with butter.
Among the traditional snacks of Arabic cuisine, meze stands out, which is a set of various tasty and rather mouth-watering snacks. A huge round dish is served on the table, which is divided into several small cells. Corn or wheat porridge, several varieties of vegetable salads with the addition of chopped parsley, triangular pies with meat, cheese or vegetables, mutabal or baba ganoush, nut-garlic paste are often placed in such compartments.
Salads in homemade Arabic cuisine are made from a wide variety of products (vegetables, fruits, meat). At the same time, they can be both light (practically dietary) and quite satisfying.
Traditional sauces in Arabic cuisine can be both spicy and not very spicy. Famous is the helba sauce, made from mustard, red pepper and fragrant spices. Also, local residents use vegetables, yogurt with bacon, tomatoes to prepare this product.
On our site you can find a variety of recipes with photographs for the preparation of appetizers, salads, sauces and desserts of Arabic cuisine.
Arabic cuisine drinks
Arabic cuisine drinks can be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Among the latter, an important role is given to coffee, which the Arabs prepare according to a special recipe. Initially, coffee beans are roasted, which must be stirred regularly with a metal stick. After that, the fried grains are crushed in a mortar. Coffee is brewed in brass or copper containers that look like a kettle. Then the brewed coffee is poured into cups and served to guests by seniority. It is customary for honored guests to serve a hot drink three times, after which they should generously thank and refuse. Traditional Arabic coffee is consumed without the addition of granulated sugar. However, it may include cardamom or cloves.
Also, locals like to drink green tea after eating meat dishes, which is brewed with mint or sage.
Even in this kitchen they prepare a milkshake with a grated banana called “mus bi-l-lyaban”. The Arabs claim that this drink, although light, is quite satisfying.
Arak (anise-flavored vodka) is a traditional alcoholic drink in Arabic cuisine, which was originally made from dates, and then the drink began to be made from rice and grapes. Arak is poured into glasses surrounded by ice. Then water and honey are added to the drink. When in contact with water, arak becomes cloudy, acquiring a milky hue. When the drink is drunk, plaque will remain on the walls of the container. Therefore, for a new portion of alcohol, you should take a clean glass that has been chilled in advance.
Recommendations on what to try upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates will help you decide what dishes you want to eat first of all from the national Arab cuisine. Below is a list of the most popular and widely requested dishes that are prepared in this country.
Name of the dish | What it is? |
|---|---|
Fish delicacies |
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Meat products |
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First meal |
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Of course, the table does not provide the entire list of dishes that are present in the national Arab cuisine. You can get acquainted with its flavor only while visiting the country.
On our site you will find a huge number of step by step recipes with photos that describe the preparation of various delicacies inherent in Arabic cuisine, which you can easily make yourself at home.
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