Characteristic products
While Saudi Arabia appears to be totally arid - which is true for a large part of its territory - the south-west of the country, on the border with Yemen, receives some seasonal rainfall, offering arable land. In the rest of the country, there are also oases and land artificially cultivated by irrigation using desalinated water from the sea and pumping from deep underground aquifers.
Traditionally, the lack of irrigation forced the Bedouin to adopt a nomadic lifestyle to take advantage of the available forage. Only in summer, the driest period of the year, did they keep their animals around the oases. The nomads grazed the animals, especially dromedaries, of sedentary farmers and traders, in exchange for a share of the latter's produce. The Bedouins were hired to protect the agricultural and trading areas they frequented, in exchange for provisions such as dates and textiles.
From the 1970s-1980s, the tribes gradually settled down and the country - then in the midst of an economic boom - developed a more modern form of agriculture to achieve self-sufficiency through massive irrigation and the creation of vast poultry farms, increasing chicken consumption, which had traditionally been quite modest. Today, the country is around 50% self-sufficient for all foodstuffs, including less than 10% for cereals, although Saudi Arabia still imports a large proportion of its food.
The date palm is by far the plant best adapted to the region's scorching climate. In fact, there are no fewer than 120 varieties of date. With 1.54 million tonnes of dates, Saudi Arabia is the world's second largest producer, just after Egypt. Other crops include cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions, lemons, pomegranates, melons and a few heat-resistant cereals such as wheat and barley, and to a lesser extent millet, oats and sorghum. Imported rice is very important in Saudi cuisine. Pulses such as beans, lentils and chickpeas are widely consumed. Moderately spicy, local cuisine nevertheless makes generous use of spices: garlic, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander, etc. Limoo amani, or dried lime, is a typical Middle Eastern condiment, used whole or ground, to flavour dishes in sauce.
Goat, mutton, poultry (formerly wild birds, today chicken) were initially the most common sources of protein. The dromedary is rarely touched, offering milk, hair for weaving, combustible droppings and, above all, a means of transport. However, whole roasted dromedary can be found in mechoui, although this is rare. The Majahim and Waddah breeds are native to Saudi Arabia. Although the country is open to both the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, fish and seafood consumption remains fairly modest. Cheeses include jibneh arabieh and baladi: traditionally made from goat's or sheep's milk, and sometimes cow's milk, these two fresh cheeses have a supple but crumbly texture, halfway between feta and mozzarella.
Although dining room tables have replaced woven palm mats, Saudis love to revive tradition and share a traditional dish with their guests whenever they can, sitting on the floor on carpets and cushions. You eat with your right hand, although it's perfectly acceptable to use both hands when eating fish. The meal is begun with the words "Bism Illah" ("I begin with the name of God") and concluded with the words "Al Hamdu Lillah" ("Praise be to Allah").
Islam plays a central role in Saudi daily life. The Koran is very strict when it comes to the food permitted to Muslims. Many foods are considered "haram", i.e. unfit for consumption. These include pork and alcohol. In addition, all meat consumed on the premises must be "halal", i.e. authorized by Islam and prepared in a very specific way, with the animal facing Mecca when bled.
Ramadan, or fasting, is the fourth pillar of Islam. Set in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, it depends on the cycles of the moon, so its date changes every year. During the month of Ramadan, every healthy Muslim is expected to fast from sunrise to sunset. He must also refrain from drinking, inhaling substances (perfumes), taking non-essential oral medicines or nutrients, and having sexual relations. Only pregnant women, the sick and the elderly are not required to observe the fast. Fasting is broken with dates, water and coffee: the caffeine, sugar and iron contained in dates give fasters plenty of energy. Ramadan ends with Eid el-Fitr, which is generally marked by lavish banquets.
Saudi Arabia is known for its rigorous practice of Islam, and while the Kingdom concedes some flexibility in its desire to attract tourists, it remains one of the most conservative countries in the Muslim world. During Ramadan, most restaurants are closed during the day, and it is forbidden to eat or drink in public during this period. However, food is generally available in tourist establishments in international hotels.
The classics of Saudi cuisine
Kabsa, sometimes known as machbūs, is considered the national dish of Saudi Arabia and is more widely a popular specialty in the rest of the Persian Gulf. This recipe consists of a rice base (usually basmati) topped with meat: chicken, lamb or goat, more rarely beef or dromedary, and sometimes seafood or fish. It's generously seasoned with onion, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, bay leaf and nutmeg. Before serving, it is garnished with almonds, pine nuts, raisins and sometimes chili pepper. Bukhari ruz is very similar, but also contains carrot. Conversely, saleeg - the signature dish of Taif, in the Hedjaz region - consists of a creamy rice porridge cooked in a broth and garnished with meat, onions and dried fruit.
Yemeni cuisine is very popular in the Persian Gulf, and in Saudi Arabia you'll findhaneeth, also made with basmati rice topped with richly spiced lamb, stewed in a clay oven called a "taboon". The closely related mandi, also from Yemen, may contain lamb or chicken, but the meat is pre-cooked in a spicy broth. Jalamah is a speciality from the south-west of the country, in the form of a lamb stew with vegetables. Originating from Central Asia and Turkey, manti or mantu are ravioli filled with minced meat - usually lamb or beef - steamed and sometimes topped with yoghurt and a spicy cumin sauce.
The cuisine of the Levant (Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Egypt) has penetrated the Persian Gulf to a great extent, and includes hummus, tabbouleh, baba ganousch (eggplant caviar), etc. Falafel are croquettes made with minced meat and served with a spicy broth. Falafels are chickpea croquettes richly flavored with parsley and onion, while labne is a very thick yoghurt drizzled with olive oil. All these specialties are mezzés, the Arab equivalent of Spanish tapas or Italian antipasti. Shawarma is a snack (similar to the Turkish doner kebab) made from marinated meat (beef, lamb or chicken), sliced into thin strips. The whole thing is rolled in a pita bread or patty, with tomato, lettuce and onion. Of Egyptian origin, ful medames is a dish based on simmered fava beans.
The presence of many workers from South Asia, as well as ancient commercial exchanges between Indian and Arab merchants, introduced many South Asian specialties to the country, such as samoussas, called sambusak in Saudi Arabia, which are triangular turnovers made from wheat flour, stuffed with vegetables or meat and spices.Another example is mutabbaq, a filled patty whose name means "folded" and which is stuffed with a mixture of minced mutton, onion, garlic and spices. Originating in Delhi, this dish has spread to the Arabian Peninsula as well as to Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore). There are several types of flatbread, such as markook.
Desserts and drinks
Hininy is emblematic of the Najd region and consists of a mixture of chopped dates, brown bread, ghee (clarified butter), cardamom and saffron, molded into a ball or ring shape.Umm ali is a bread-based pudding topped with dried fruit (raisins, walnuts, almonds, coconut, pistachios) from Egypt, as is basboussa, a soft semolina cake flavored with coconut or almonds. Widely present in the Middle East, the kanafeh is a cake made of angel hair or semolina, filled with fresh cheese that is soaked in syrup. Common in Turkey and Lebanon, the muhallebi is a milk flan perfumed with rose water or orange blossom. From the Maghreb, assida is a wheat flour dough cooked in water, like polenta, which is served with date syrup, especially to break the Ramadan fast. Finally, kâak is a term that can refer to several types of ring-shaped cookies, usually sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Arabic coffee or qahwa is THE national drink. Always flavored with a hint of spices (usually cardamom or saffron), qahwa is served black and without sugar, accompanied by a few dates to reduce its bitterness. It is the drink that Saudis systematically offer to their guests, as a sign of respect and welcome, and this offer is always accompanied by a ritual that should be respected. In general, local politeness requires that one drinks three - small - cups of coffee. One shakes one's cup slightly when one does not want any more. The coffee tree grows naturally in the far southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, notably in Yemen.
There are also a variety of cold drinks, including an abundance of sodas (Saudi Arabia is the 14th most obese country in the world). Yogurt is often made into a drink called laban. While alcohol is strictly forbidden in the country, sobia, a drink usually produced in the Hijaz, is consumed, made from a slightly fermented mixture of barley or brown bread, date palm sap, herbs and spices.
