Characteristic products
While Saudi Arabia appears to be totally arid - which is true for a large part of its territory - the southwest of the country, bordering Yemen, receives some seasonal rainfall, offering arable land. In the rest of the country, there are also oases and land cultivated artificially by irrigation with desalinated water from the sea and pumping from deep groundwater.
Traditionally, the lack of irrigation forced the Bedouin to adopt a nomadic lifestyle to take advantage of the available fodder. Only in summer, the driest time of the year, did they keep their animals around the oases. The nomads would graze the animals, especially dromedaries, of the sedentary farmers and traders in exchange for a portion 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 or textiles.
From the 1970s-1980s onwards, the tribes gradually settled down and the country - which was then in the midst of an economic boom - developed a more modern form of agriculture in order to achieve self-sufficiency through massive irrigation and the creation of large-scale farms, particularly for poultry, thus increasing chicken consumption, which had traditionally been quite modest. Today, the country is about 50% self-sufficient for all foodstuffs, including less than 10% for cereals, with Saudi Arabia still importing a large part of its food.
The date palm is by far the most adapted plant to the region's scorching climate. There are no less than 120 varieties of dates. With 1.54 million tons of dates, Saudi Arabia is the world's second largest producer, just after Egypt. Other crops include cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions, lemons, pomegranates, melons and a few varieties of cereals that are resistant to intense heat, such as wheat and barley, and to a lesser extent millet, oats and sorghum. Rice, which is imported, is very important in Saudi cuisine. Legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas are widely consumed. Moderately spicy, the local cuisine makes a 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 flavor dishes in sauce.
Goat, mutton, poultry (formerly wild birds, now chicken) were initially the most common protein sources. The dromedary is little or not at all touched, as it offers milk, hair for weaving, combustible excrements and above all a means of transport. However, whole roasted camels 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, the consumption of fish and seafood remains rather modest. On the contrary, dairy products are widely consumed. On the cheese side, one should note the jibneh arabieh and the baladi: traditionally made with goat or sheep milk, sometimes cow milk, these two fresh cheeses have a soft but crumbly texture, halfway between feta and mozzarella.
Even though dining room tables have replaced woven palm mats, Saudis like to revive tradition and share a traditional dish with their guests whenever they can, sitting on the floor on rugs and cushions. One eats with the right hand, although for fish it is perfectly acceptable to use both hands. The meal is started 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 is indeed central to the daily life of Saudis. The Koran is very strict about what food is allowed for Muslims. Many foodstuffs are considered "haram", i.e. unfit for consumption. This includes pork and alcohol. In addition, all meat consumed by locals must be "halal", i.e. authorized by Islam and prepared in a very precise way, the animal being turned towards Mecca when it is 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 supposed to fast from sunrise to sunset. He/she should 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 in dates provide the fasting person with a lot of energy. Ramadan ends with Eid-ul-Fitr, which is usually marked by lavish banquets.
Saudi Arabia is known for its very rigorous practice of Islam, and while the kingdom has conceded 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 eating or drinking in public is prohibited during this time. However, food is usually 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 base of rice (usually basmati) filled with meat: chicken, lamb or goat, more rarely beef or camel, and sometimes seafood or fish. It is 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 chilli. Bukhari ruz is very similar but also contains carrot. In contrast, saleeg - the signature dish of the city of Taif in the Hijaz region - consists of a creamy rice porridge cooked in a broth and topped with meat, onions and dried fruit.
Yemeni cuisine is very popular in the Persian Gulf and in Saudi Arabia,haneeth, also made of basmati rice topped with richly spiced lamb, is stewed in a clay oven called a taboon. Closely related, mandi, also from Yemen, may contain lamb or chicken, but the meat is pre-cooked in a spicy broth. Jalamah is a specialty from the southwest of the country, which is a lamb stew with vegetables. Originally from Central Asia and Turkey, mantior mantu are ravioli filled with minced meat - usually lamb or beef - steamed and sometimes topped with yogurt and a spicy cumin sauce.
The penetration of the cuisine of the Levant (Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Egypt) is very strong in the Persian Gulf and one finds hummus, tabbouleh, baba ganousch (eggplant caviar), etc. Falafels are chickpea croquettes richly flavored with parsley and onion, while labne is a very thick yogurt drizzled with olive oil. All these specialties are mezze, the Arab equivalent of Spanish tapas or Italian antipasti. Shawarma is a snack (similar to the Turkish doner kebab) made of marinated meat (beef, lamb or chicken) sliced into thin strips. The whole thing is rolled in a pita bread or a patty, with tomato, lettuce and onion. Of Egyptian origin, ful medames is a dish based on simmered beans.
The presence of many workers coming from South Asia, as well as the ancient trade exchanges between Indian and Arab merchants, introduced in the country many South Asian specialties such as samoussas, called sambusak in Saudi Arabia, which are triangular turnovers made of wheat flour, filled 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 flat breads, 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.
