Characteristic products and eating habits
Although Qatar's climate is on the whole extremely hot and arid, with little arable land, local farmers have always managed to grow crops close to the oases. These include, of course, date palms, the only agricultural crop growing naturally in the region, as well as cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots and much more. This agriculture became highly modernized at the end of the 20th century, with the systematic use of desalinated water. Rice, very common in Qatar, is of course imported. As for meat, goat, mutton and poultry - more rarely beef - are on the menu, not forgetting fish, seafood and various game. The dromedary is rarely touched, offering milk, hair for weaving, combustible dung and a means of transport in the desert. Camel milk is highly prized and is used to make many products (yoghurt, ice cream, butter, etc.). Ghee, or clarified butter, is also widely consumed.
Qatari cuisine makes generous use of spices, although it is not very spicy. Among the most common blends is bizar a'shuwa, which includes black pepper, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, dried ginger, cardamom, chili pepper and turmeric. Daqoos is both a spice blend and a tomato puree flavored with the same spices: cracked wheat, cumin, toasted and ground sesame seeds, coriander seeds, red chili pepper, garlic cloves and salt.
Islam plays a central role in Qatari daily life. The Koran is very strict when it comes to haram, i.e. "forbidden" foods such as pork and alcohol, although these products can be found in specialized stores and hotels. In addition, all meat consumed by locals must be halal (ritually-slaughtered). Also worth noting: eating is traditionally done with the right hand.
The date of Ramadan, the month of fasting, depends on the lunar calendar and changes every year. During the month of Ramadan, all healthy Muslims are expected to fast from sunrise to sunset.
This policy is much more flexible for non-Muslims, and it's possible to eat without any problem during the day, especially in large establishments. However, don't hesitate to get off the beaten track and sample Qatar's succulent street food in the street stalls and souk restaurants found in Doha's old quarter, for example.
Compared with France, the structure of meals in Qatar is quite flexible. Menu times and composition can also be more variable than our typical starter-main course-dessert. With the oil boom that Qatar experienced from the 1960s onwards, the country rapidly developed from a poor society, whose main activity was fishing and the pearl trade, to one of the richest countries in the world. This sudden enrichment in just one or two generations has driven Qataris to consume in a frenzy, and this of course includes food, which must be abundant and ubiquitous. This trend, coupled with a naturally rich cuisine and an immoderate taste for sugar, has popularized overflowing tables and buffets, but has also made Qatar one of the world's most obese countries, with 35% of Qataris suffering from obesity (on a par with the USA). Programs in partnership with the Al Jazeera channel have been launched to teach children and parents the basics of healthier eating.
The classics of Qatari cuisine
Many dishes common to the Persian Gulf are found in Qatar, but are known by specific names. One example is machbūs, known as kabsa in Saudi Arabia, where it is the national dish. This very tasty complete dish consists of a spicy rice base topped with vegetables and meat (chicken, mutton or lamb) with dried fruit, reminiscent of biryani from South Asia. There's also ghoozi or quzi, a dish probably originating in Iraq, made with lamb, sometimes whole, sometimes cut up, served on a bed of spiced rice with plenty of raisins, almonds and pine nuts. This dish is sometimes called shuwaa. Kousa mahshi is zucchini stuffed with minced meat.
Khobz rougag occupies an important place. This flatbread made from flour, water and salt is also used in other dishes such as thareed, a meat or poultry stew with vegetables, simmered in a broth. It is then placed on a bed of bread, which soaks up the broth. Khobz rougag is also used in the preparation of the famous shawarma, garnished with strips of marinated and grilled lamb or chicken, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Another signature dish, madrouba, is a spicy Qatari porridge made with rice - deliberately overcooked - chicken and a host of spices: turmeric, cumin, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, garlic and black pepper. It's usually served piping hot and is reminiscent of harees. The latter, common during Ramadan, is made from ground wheat grains mixed with ghee, which is cooked for a long time to give the dish a porridge-like texture. It is garnished with meat or poultry.
However, it's difficult to paint a complete picture of Qatari cuisine without mentioning the fact that, in just a few decades, Qatar has become one of the world's most prosperous countries, attracting people from all corners of the globe to work in a variety of sectors. As many as 80% of Qatar's inhabitants are non-Qatari nationals, hailing from the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia, as well as from Africa, the Middle East and, to a lesser extent, Europe.
As a result, Qatar's culinary offerings extend far beyond Persian Gulf cuisine, and there is of course a consistent presence of specialties from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka), such as biryani, chapatis, naans, tandoori, samoussas and various curry recipes. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Filipino and Indonesian restaurants are also common. A multitude of - rather upscale - establishments offer European cuisine, particularly French and Italian. Iranian cuisine is also popular, known for its meat and vegetable dishes, richly seasoned with fresh herbs, saffron and pomegranate juice, and garnished with dried fruit and rice.
The penetration of Levantine cuisine (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine) is strong in Qatar, and hummus (chickpea purée with tahini or sesame cream), tabbouleh (chopped parsley and mint salad with green onion, tomato and a little semolina, very different from our industrial "tabbouleh"), labné (very thick yoghurt served with a drizzle of olive oil) or moutabal (grilled eggplant purée with tahini and yoghurt, or without yoghurt, which becomes baba ganoush). These dishes are called mezzes in Arabic, meaning "appetizers".
Desserts and drinks
The most common sweets in Qatar are typical of those found in the Middle East, with an abundance of syrup, honey, almonds, pistachios, rosewater and orange blossom water. For example, luqaimat, small ball-shaped doughnuts flavored with saffron and cardamom, are soaked in honey syrup, sometimes with a hint of cinnamon. Khabees is a porridge made from roasted flour mixed with sugar, oil, butter, saffron, cardamom and rosewater.Assida is a sweet pudding made from flour, oil and sugar, originally from the Maghreb but very popular in Qatar. It is often served with a drizzle of rub and date syrup. Balaleet is a surprising dessert of sweet noodles flavored with cinnamon, saffron and cardamom, topped with a sweet omelet. It is commonly served for Eid el-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan.
Arabic coffee or kahwa is THE national drink. Always flavored with a hint of spice (usually cardamom or saffron), kahwa is served black and sugar-free, accompanied by a few dates to reduce its bitterness. This is the drink that Qataris systematically offer their guests, as a sign of respect and welcome, and this offer is always accompanied by a ritual that must be respected. In general, local politeness demands that you drink three - small - cups of coffee. You shake your cup lightly when you've had enough.
Tea, an Anglo-Indian heritage, occupies a fairly important place in Arab culture and is therefore consumed regularly in Qatar. Karak, also known as "milk tea", is reminiscent of chai latte but stronger. This richly spiced blend contains cardamom, saffron and sugar, and is simmered with tea and evaporated milk.
Like their neighbors in the Persian Gulf, Qataris love fresh juices, which are consumed day and night. Indeed, fruit imported by plane from India, Africa or California is commonplace here. This love of sweetness is also reflected in the abundance of sodas. However, don't hesitate to try the excellent mint lemonade, limonana, from " limon " and " nana ", lemon and mint in Arabic, democratized by Lebanese restaurants and now very popular in the Middle East.
Strictly forbidden to Muslims, alcoholic beverages are increasingly available in 4-star and almost all 5-star restaurants and sports bars. For reasons linked to their location or the owner's choice, some bars in large hotels are " dry bars ", i.e. alcohol-free.
