Savour a mix of spices, tender meats and aromatic rice as you discover the culinary delights of Oman. From markets to household kitchens, each chew tells a narrative of the nation’s wealthy historical past and heat hospitality.
Oman won’t be on everybody’s radar like another Center Jap hotspots, however it’s a must-visit for travellers who love to go to wadis, discover preserved remnants of historical civilisations and participate in distinctive cultural actions like festivals throughout monsoon season.
This vacation spot is house to architectural feats just like the Royal Opera Home of Muscat, the place locals and guests can catch renditions of Swan Lake and Carmen. Then there are cultural landmarks like Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (identified for its Islamic craftmanship) and historical souks in Nizwa the place travellers can browse conventional crafts, replenish their spice cabinets and decide up silver jewellery or pottery as souvenirs.
After which there’s the meals. Omani delicacies is a scrumptious mix of wealthy flavours and numerous influences, due to the nation’s distinctive historical past and strategic location alongside historical commerce routes connecting Africa, Persia and India. If you happen to love spices, slow-cooked meats and rice, you’re in for a deal with.
Omani delicacies is not only concerning the meals. It’s additionally concerning the traditions and hospitality that include it. Meals are sometimes shared with household and pals, making each eating expertise heat and communal. On Intrepid’s Uncover Oman journey, travellers will get style of Omani traditions and hospitality with house visits.
Right here’s an inventory of must-try conventional Omani dishes.
Machboos
If you wish to style a traditional dish from the Gulf area, strive machboos. It’s made by cooking rice and meat in a single pot and has a style paying homage to biryani. Roasted meat is packed tightly right into a pot, and a layer of rice is added above it to lock in all these scrumptious flavours. Historically, it’s made with hen, however you’ll additionally discover it cooked with lamb or greens.
If you happen to’re in Muscat and wish to do this dish with out breaking the financial institution, Bin Ateeq is an inexpensive alternative. However should you’re feeling fancy and wish to deal with your self, Al Angham close to the Royal Opera Home is a well-liked high quality eating restaurant with machboos on the menu.
Harees Dijaj
You possibly can’t miss out on making an attempt harees dijaj, one in every of Oman’s nationwide meals. It’s a hearty dish that includes slow-cooked hen and barley, filled with flavour and historical past. Identified merely as harees, this dish has roots! It’s talked about in Kitab al Tabikh, a cookbook from the tenth century. Harees comes from the Arabic phrase harasa, which implies to mash or crush. Within the context of cooking, it refers back to the motion of mashing meat with barley or wholegrains.
You recognize it’s an important day once you see harees on the menu. It’s usually served throughout holidays, weddings and household gatherings throughout Ramadan. For a memorable expertise, head to Bait Al Luban restaurant in Muscat, famously really useful by the late Anthony Bourdain, the place you possibly can order harees dijaj topped with torsha, a aromatic date sauce.
Shuwa
One other widespread dish served particularly throughout Eid holidays is Omani shuwa. Shuwa is a delicacy, as the method for making the meat (normally lamb, goat, sheep or camel) can take as much as 48 hours to organize. First the meat is marinated in spices like coriander, chilli, cloves and cumin. Subsequent, the meat is wrapped in banana leaves, put right into a date palm bag and positioned right into a deep fireplace pit within the floor. This entire course of makes the meat so tender, it virtually falls off the bone and simply melts in your mouth.
Omanis from numerous elements of the nation make their shuwa in another way with numerous leaves and spices. Regardless of the place you strive shuwa, it’s arduous to not fall in love with this dish. Ubhar Restaurant in Muscat affords a preferred gradual roasted camel shuwa which could be loved year-round.
Qabooli
One other beloved rice and meat dish is qabooli. It’s normally served with lamb and a beneficiant heap of rice on an enormous tray. The dish is believed to have come from Kabul, Afghanistan. Again within the Bronze Age, when Oman was a preferred commerce route, many Afghans handed by way of the area, bringing this scrumptious dish with them. The rice in qabooli is infused with fragrant spices like saffron, baharat and coriander, and it’s typically garnished with pomegranate for a contact of sweetness. If you wish to strive a chic model of this meal, try Meshan Restaurant in both Nizwa or Jabal Akhdar.
Omani bread
Omani bread is served on the aspect of many dishes. This skinny flatbread is constituted of flour, water and salt and cooked on a griddle or in a tandoor oven. You will discover Omani bread served at many small mom-and-pop eating places within the metropolis or in Nizwa souk close to the fort.
Halwa
You can’t go away Oman with out making an attempt halwa. Omani halwa is a well-liked candy gelatinous dessert made by cooking sugar, rose water, saffron, cardamom, and nuts. In a thick, sticky paste. It’s typically served with Omani espresso, which it pairs nicely with because the robust, bitter espresso offsets this candy deal with. One of the vital well-known spots for this dessert is a small store in Nizwa’s fruit and vegetable market. Households flock right here to select up this traditional deal with for holidays and particular events.
From Islamic forts and souqs full of silver and spices to the Wahiba Sands for a desert escape, you possibly can dive into Oman on a small group journey with Intrepid.