The United Arab Emirates is one of the greatest destinations, when it comes to living and traveling. The lavish lifestyle and the impeccably stunning architecture grab the attention of people, across the globe.
Apart from the aforementioned features of the country, one of the primary reasons rooting for its popularity would be – the mouth-watering cuisines. This country is known to be the originator, to some of the finest dishes in the world.
This cosmopolitan country offers its tourists with a variety, both in terms of architecture and food, across the globe. Be it Ajman, Dubai, Al Khaimah, or Abu Dhabi- each one of them is equally armed with delicious flavors & otherworldly tastes.
Keep scrolling through this article for a lip-smacking experience.
5 Popular Traditional Cuisines Of The UAE
Traditionally, meat, rice, & fish are some of the staple foods, for the citizens of The UAE. Therefore, it is mandatory for every delicacy to have, at least one of these staples as the primary ingredient.
Keeping that in mind, now let us look at the 5 most popular traditional food of UAE.
1. Shawarma
Where to find: Al Mallah, Dubai
Per Plate Cost: AED 6 – AED 10
This particular delicacy has received love, from all across the globe. Every corner, of every country, of every city, will have at least one shawarma corner. Shawarma is one of the most consumed food across the UAE.
Be it those street outlets or local vendors, malls, & restaurants, a true foodie will always be able to locate shawarma, during any time of the day. In recent times, Shawarma has games immense popularity in many Asian countries.
A nice Shawarma wrap can be prepared using any meat, lamb, or chicken. Each country. Irrespective of the change in the process of preparation, it has never witnessed any decline, in respect to its demand.
2. Manakish
Per Plate Cost: AED 15 – AED 30
Manakish is a local favorite. One of the most popular Lebanese snacks. With cheese being the dominant ingredient.
Manakish is ideally a flatbread stuffed with cheese & cooked inside a huge oven. Being the dominant ingredient, one can be as generous as one can with the cheese.
Some street vendors add vegetables, oils, spices, and meats on top of the flatbread, to enhance the taste.
3. Shish Tawouk Sandwich
Where To Find: Mezza House, Dubai
Per Plate Cost: AED 10 – AED 115
This Arabian sandwich, is one of those undiscovered gems of the UAE, that is yet to be discovered by so many tourists, visiting the country. Although, it can be easily located in any local middle-eastern food stall, because of its expected popularity among the natives.
Yet again a non-vegetarian item, prepared with flatbreads stuffed with thinly sliced chicken pieces, with the correct amount of spice. This sandwich causes an explosion of flavors inside one’s mouth. The variety of herbs, spices, pickles, and vegetables in the sandwich is to share the blame, for the above savory accusation.
4. Al Harees
Where To Find: Harees Al Waldha and Abu Dhabi
Per Plate Cost: AED 21 for small, AED 32 for medium, and AED 42 for large
Another traditional cuisine of the UAE. Al Harees is a rich main course item, that has secured a special plate in religious festivals and during Arabian weddings. Especially, during the holy month of Ramadan.
It is a porridge-like dish that is prepared with basic ingredients, & usually takes a couple of hours to cook. The ideal method of cooking Al Harees, will be combining the meat, along with the wheat, in a pot. After which, you have to add salt and water to it, and leave it to cook for a long time.
There’s another method of preparing it. Instead of mixing the meat with the wheat, you mix the wheat with salted water, and let it cook for hours. After a considerable time add the meat and cook it for about 4 hours.
This delicacy is the perfect example of the proverb; patience bears the sweetest fruit.
5. Al Machboos
Where To Find: AL Fanar Restaurant & cafe, Dubai Festival City Mall
Per Plate Cost: AED 55 – 69
Another non-vegetarian delicacy of the UAE. The primary ingredients for preparing a good Al Machboos would be, fish or shrimp, red meat, and rice. It is then seasoned with the desired spices & one particular component, Loomy or dried lemon.
The cooking process involves cooking the meat first until it’s tender. You can now cook the rice. Once it is cooked, add the meat, spices, onions, and other ingredients. Your Al Machboos is now ready to be served with some raita & salad.
Conclusion
Doesn’t this article make you feel hungry? It makes me. Just reading the Luqaimat ingredients, while penning down this article, made me drool. Imagine, how the other items had punished me.
However, if you have got some other delicacies to add to this list of traditionals, do not forget to visit our comments section.
