The United Arab Emirates is nestled in its modern tapestry, mingling with traditional heritage. Rich in culture, it is deeply influenced by its multicultural society, giving Emirati cuisine a burst of flavour and its character. Traditional food in the UAE is the cumulation of the nation’s history, topography, and Bedouin heritage. It is defined by their use of spices from regions such as Asia and the Middle East, fresh ingredients and methodical cooking preparations passed down from generations of the Bedouin heritage.
However, due to the national influx of ex-pats and industrial changes, traditional Emirati cuisine has waned, if not slightly. Chef Uwe Micheel (as referenced here), a German-born Emirati expat, knew little to nothing about traditional Emirati cuisine, which further stems the idea of it being in obscurity. Native Emirati diet found in the early days included camel milk, dates and fish from the Arabian Gulf. To preserve meat, natives dried the food with a few spices, with the oldest recipe transcribed to only using sea salt, dry lime and turmeric. Cooking methods usually included cooking meat underground in the tradition of the Bedouins.
Food is at the heart of Emirati culture, the start of celebrations, where families are rejoined and share the food with love and warmth. Being influenced by several regions, Emirati cuisine ranges far and beyond.
Traditional UAE Breakfast
Breakfast is an essential part of UAE culture, served in several cafes and restaurants across the city. One example is The City Walk area, where numerous restaurants offer breakfast meals throughout the day with the aroma of freshly baked bread spiralling through the air, locals flock around to get a taste of it. Traditional breakfast dishes in UAE serve as an introduction to the full Emirati cuisine.
Balaleet
A vermicelli-focused dish, Balaleet is a blend of sweet and salty flavour profiles made with a thin layer of eggs on top. Flavour condiments such as sugar, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom, or rose water are added on top of the spices to sweeten vermicelli. Balaleet is a mix of breakfast and dessert dishes and is usually found in variations of other cuisines like Indian Sheer Khurma or Perisian Faloodeh.
Usually served warm for breakfast and cold for dessert, and despite its humble ingredients, Balaleet is an essential part of iftars and Eid celebrations in Emirati culture.
Chebab Bread
Also referred to as Emirati pancake, it is a thin crispy sweet bread which resembles an American pancake, hence the reference. The softly melting bread, Chebab is made with flour, egg, melted butter and yeast – infused with cardamom and saffron, as its primary ingredients, with fennel or turmeric, added more often than not. It is often served with sweet date syrup or honey and Chami — a salty cheese made from buttermilk, and topped with butter adding to its rich and indulgent flavour.
Foul Medames
A classic Emirati dish, Foul Medames is usually made from hearty creamy cooked fava beans, and loaded with flavours like cumin and garlic, infused with preferred spices. The translation of Medames means ‘smashed’ which correlates to smashed beans – influenced by other regions, the variations of this dish are found in several other sectors in the Middle East such as Lebanon and Yemen. It is a richly warm dish that Emiratis typically enjoy eating to start the day.
Khameer
The softest bread as the locals refer to it — Khameer is a rustic golden-hued puffy flatbread which can easily be torn into two layers. In UAE, traditionally dates are incorporated to sweeten khameer instead of sugar with added flavourings such as fennel, saffron or cardamom. Centuries back, tribes in the Emirate used coal ovens to bake khameer bread, giving it a crispy edge and soft inside. It can be served as a breakfast, snack, or evening dish with cheese and honey drizzled on top adding to its sweetened taste.
Traditional UAE Lunch
Machboos
In traditional Emirati food culture, rice was not included as a daily part of cooking since it was not yet introduced and the natives used wheat as the main source alongside other savoury side dishes. However, when Emiratis borrowed it from Indian and Persian traders, rice became an integral part of UAE cuisine and is now incorporated into almost several dishes.
In this case, Machboos is a savoury rice dish — beloved by many locals and foreigners alike, it is cooked in the delectable rich stock of lamb, chicken or seafood. The golden saffron rice is an infused blend of spices like cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom giving it a burst of Emirati flair. Influenced by the trade from India, Machboos is tight-knit with Indian biryani as it resembles in both look and flavour.
Harees
One of the most popular traditional dishes in UAE is Harees. The meek, yet century-old dish that is a result of the natives’ gist and history, is an ancient recipe with a porridge-like consistency and on all occasions of family gatherings and holidays like Eid, Harees is graced among other dishes. Despite being a rigorous and time-consuming dish to cook, all emiratis take pride in their version of Harees. Usually, it is prepared by cooking wheat in salted water for several hours, then in intervals – lamb or chicken is added and cooked additionally for some time. The dish garnished with ghee drizzled on top gives it a depth of richness.
Thareed
Another comforting traditional Emirati dish is Thareed. A slow-cooked richly dense meal most well-liked around Ramadan during Iftar. It features a huge healthy amount of chunks of lamb or chicken meat, upraised by a hefty amount of potatoes and vegetables. On the bottom, it beds a lavish beef stew generally consumed with rice or bread. It’s a versatile hearty dish that evokes feelings of warmth.
Traditional UAE Dessert
Luqaimat
A sugary fried dough, which in a nutshell presents a version of it in almost every cuisine such as churro in Mexico, doughnuts in America, loukoumades in Greece, and luqaimat in UAE. it is a universally loved staple dessert in every cuisine with different variations influenced to adapt to individual cultures.
Luqiamat in Arabic means ‘small bites’ which is essentially what this desert entails. It is significant to Ramadan and special occasions and is enjoyed with a hot cup of Qahwa. Crunchy on the side, and glazed with date syrup – this sweet haven is a reflection of Emirati culture and cuisine.
Experiencing Traditional UAE Food
The United Arab Emirates, the most renowned port hub for trade, has seen great influences from its historical trading industry, most partially when it comes to Emirati cuisine. Many traders and travellers journeyed through the nation, and the Emirati century-old culinary heritage pays homage to them. Despite this, Emirati food culture bears its unique profile with the ubiquity of cardamom, saffron and dates, which are heavily reliant on poultry and meat.
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