Eastern Arabian cuisine

Adallahis a traditional Arabic coffee pot that containsArabic coffee,which is usually served to guests in themajlisordewaniya.

Eastern Arabian cuisine,also calledKhaleeji cuisine(Arabic:المطبخ الخليجي), is the traditionalArabiccuisine variant that is shared by the population inEastern Arabiaand areas around thePersian Gulf.Seafoodis a significant part of the diet of the inhabitants of thecoastal region of Eastern Arabia.Fishis popular. The cuisine of eastern Arabia is different from the cuisine of the Arabs ofHejaz,Yemen,Najd,Oman,and other parts of Arabia.Hareesis also a popular dish in the region.

Eastern Arabian cuisine today forms the traditional cuisine for countries such asKuwait,Bahrain,Qatar,United Arab Emirates,the southern part ofIraq,and eastern parts ofSaudi ArabiaandOman,each with slight local variations.

History

Sag'ai dates from Saudi Arabia. Sag'ai dates are grown in theArabian peninsulaand are naturally sweet, luscious and very soft.

FreshArabiancamel milk.Camel milk may also be strained to formstrained yogurt.

Originally, the inhabitants ofEastern Arabiarelied heavily on a diet ofdates,wheat,barley,riceandmeat,with little variety, and with a heavy emphasis onyogurtproducts, such as "leben" (لبن) (yogurtwithout butterfat). Globalization and contact with ancient civilizations such as theRomans,Persians,and later on with theOttomansbrought the Arabs in close contact with dishes of several other cultures, as well as introducing several new ingredients in their diet.

As with mostAsiancultures, the culinary heritage can find its root in eitherPersian,Indian,orChinesecuisines. In fact the food structure of Persian-Arabian civilization began with cooking techniques innovated in ancient Persia and carried forward by Persians during theSassanid Dynasty.With subsequent development and growth of the Ottomans (Turkish empire), Arab culture came in contact with the Ottoman empire; Turkish contributions to the Arabian culture included "kebabs".

This multicultural inclusion became possible after the advent ofIslam,and with the growth of Arabian influence after the invasion of Persia, Balkans, and North Africa, making it possible for merchants of different nations to travel long distances coming into contact and being influenced by or influencing local cuisines they encountered. The exchange of customs and food was bidirectional, with Arabs also exporting their dietary preferences such asdates,figs,andlambto the areas they traveled to or conquered including the Persian empire and the Turkish population of Balkan.This interchange of goods and ways of life, was significant in forming the current modern Arab diet. Arabs later on transferred these newly gained cuisines on their conquests to Africa, and as far as North Africa, West Africa, and South ofSpain.In fact, certain Spanishdessertssuch as polvorones, tocino de cielo (custard and caramel) and yemas de San Leandro (marzipan based) are heavily influenced by the Moors.Though these influences were not carried out by the original Arabs of the Arabian sub-continent, their westward expansion intoEgypt,andMoroccoled to dissemination of Chinese, Indian, Arabian, and Persian cuisines and eventually their vicarious adoption by the North Africans.

Ingredients

Eastern Arabian cuisine today is the result of combination of diverse cuisines, incorporatingPersian,Indian,Lebaneseand Chinese cooking styles, and many items not originally indigenous to the region, which were most probably imported on thedhowsand thecaravans.In addition, the cuisine is heavily dosed with spices, from hotsaucesto every variety ofpepper,to tea. This cuisine also favorsvegetablessuch ascucumbers,eggplants,andonions,andfruits(primarilycitrus). Notably, many of the same spices used in eastern Arabia cuisine are also those emphasized in the Indian cuisine. This is a result of heavy trading between the two regions, and of the current state of affairs in the wealthy oil states, in which many South Asian workers are living abroad in Eastern Arabia.

National cuisines

• Bahraini cuisine
• Emirati cuisine
• Kuwaiti cuisine
• Omani cuisine
• Qatari cuisine
• Saudi Arabian cuisine
• Yemeni cuisine

Culture

Amajlisin the United Arab Emirates. Majlis (literallya place of sitting) is where guests are welcomed and usually offered dates and Arabic coffee.

Main article:Culture of Eastern Arabia

Essential to any cooking in eastern Arabia is the concept ofhospitality.Meals are sometimes family affairs, with shared conversation over the dinner table. Formal dinners and celebrations generally entail large quantities of food, and every occasion entails large quantities ofcoffee.

There are many regional differences in Arab cuisine. For instance, mujadara in Syria or Lebanon is different from mujadara in Jordan or Palestine. Some dishes such asmensaf(the national dish of Jordan) are native to certain countries and rarely if ever make an appearance in other countries.

Unlike in most Western cuisines, cinnamon is used in meat dishes as well as in sweets such as baklava. Other desserts include variations ofrice puddingand fried dough. Ground nut mixtures are common fillings for such treats.Saffronis used in everything, from sweets, torice,to beverages.Fruit juicesare popular in this arid region.

Influences

In addition toArab cuisine,the following cuisines have influenced, or have been influenced by the Eastern Arabian cuisine, either due to trade (mostly maritime from the far east), or as a result of ancient contact:

• Indian cuisine
• African cuisine
• Balochi cuisine
• Fusion cuisine
• Iranian cuisine

Further reading

• Al-Hamad, Sarah, Cardamom and Lime: Tastes of the Arabian Gulf, 2015[1],Fox Chapel Publishing,ISBN978-1-5048-0024-2