When I came to Oman in 2002, I initially found that generic Arabian food is what Oman had to offer, but soon realized after visiting the Muscat festival that Oman has its own unique culinary traditions. Though not varied, they are distinct.
There is no denying the fact that Arabian cuisine is fairly dominant in Oman.
Certain foods do stand out from the common Arabian cuisine. As with any Arabian country, the food is served on large communal platters and in plentiful quantities.
Oman is a big country in the GCC and so the culinary methods differ from region to region. Indeed, regional influences run too deep to be cast aside. The moment you enter an Omani home, you will be served with what constitutes the “fowala,” which includes succulent dates with freshly prepared “kahwa,” or Arabic coffee.
The bitterness of kahwa is complemented by the sweetness of dates. Different kinds of sweets, like the gelatinous marshallow-like Omani halawa, is also served as fowala.
Kahwa, flavoured intensely with cardamom, is served in tiny eggshell-shaped cups without handles. Also, “sohha wa samin,” another sweet made from dates and nuts, is served with kahwa.
Bread is a staple for breakfast, with “khubz rakhal” being the most popular, while other breads like “khubz Al-murdouf,” “khubz Al-simsim” and “khubz Al-takhein,” with a dash of cumin, are found on morning breakfast platters.
Rice is mainly eaten during lunch. “Maqbous,” tinged with saffron and cooked over spicy red or white meat, is a popular rice dish. “Aursia,” a special meal served during celebratory occasions, consists of mashed rice flavored with a dash of spices, while qabooli is a zesty combination of meat, potatoes and rice browned with sauces.
The Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman swarm with fish. Omani cuisine features fish items eaten with rice or bread. Among the most sought after fish dish is the “samak bil narjeel,” fish marinated in spices and topped with rice in coconut sauce.
Mazoor (boiled shark) is usually served cold, while “kanad” (king fish) is used in the preparation of whole fish roasted on a burning fire and served with rice and lemon juice. “Makauousha,” or sardines, in coconut-based sauce is quite popular in the Musandam region.
The Arabian Peninsula has been closely linked with spices throughout its history. Spices were appreciated everywhere in the Middle East for their fragrances and their medicinal properties, as well as for their flavor enhancement of in food. Spices play an important part in adding zing to Omani food. The most important spices in Oman are cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, saffron and turmeric.
Preparation and presentation of food varies from region to region. For instance, the people in the Sharqiyah relish “madhbi,” slices of meat roasted on hot stones with burning coal underneath. Among the bedu, dried shark meat is a staple, while in the Dhofar area, “al-maqdeed,” dried shredded meat, is famous.
Meat dishes like “arsia,” lamb meat cooked with rice; “mishkak,” skewered meat grilled on charcoal; “shorbat laham” (porridge); “harees” (made from wheat and chicken) and a number of chicken and meat grilled items find their place on the menu.
Festivals like Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha have given rise to special delicacies. Iftar spread offers an amazing variety like “sakhana,” a thick sweet soup made of wheat, date, molasses and milk; “masanif” (chicken-stuffed pastries); “fatta,” a meat and vegetable dish mixed with “khubz rakhal;” “mardouf” (made with dates) and “chilo” (rice flour pancakes). The making of “shuwa” calls for celebration. The entire village participates in the cooking of “shuwa,” which consists of a whole cow or goat, roasted for up to two days in a special oven prepared in a pit dug in the ground.
The meat is marinated with red pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, garlic and vinegar and is wrapped in sacks made of dry banana or palm leaves.
These sacks are then thrown into the oven, which is covered with a lid and sealed so that no smoke escapes. The result is unbelievably succulent and tender meat, deliciously spicy and served in large communal platters.
For the sweet tooth, Omanis love delicious desserts. Or, a tray of seasonal fruit is enough to end a meal. Jelly and custard (sometimes layered) are immensely popular.
“Luqaimat” (sweet fried dumplings drizzled with honey or sugar syrup laced with lemon, rose water or saffron), creme caramel, “falooda” (a milky pudding made with China grass), “basboosa” (semolina cake with sugared syrup), “qataif” (stuffed sweet pancakes), “firneeh,” “khabeesah” (made with flour, sugar, samen, milk, cardamom and saffron) and “khaleeat nahal” (cheese-filled sweet rolls) are some of the specialties prepared for evening feasting.
There are not many restaurants that serve Omani cuisine, though there are plenty serving Lebanese, Turkish, Indian and Pakistani food.
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