The Qatari cuisine offers a diverse range of dishes which you shouldn’t miss if you visit Qatar this March, especially with the festive atmosphere. You can enjoy these dishes at local ” Souq Waqif” or in the homes of local residents.
W7Worldwide, a strategic communications consultancy, has identified some of the most important Qatari Ramadan table dishes, including:
- “Harees”: A Ramadan dish made from ground meat mixed with boiled wheat, olive oil, and cinnamon. In the past, the dish was expensive and only in the reach of a certain society stratum, but now it has spread throughout the Gulf region.
- “Thareed”: A main dish in the Ramadan table, prepared in the form of flat crispy bread with soup made from meat and vegetables.
- “Hassou”: A Qatari dish made from a mixture of spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, fenugreek, black seeds, and fennel; it is served to women to compensate for the fatigue of pregnancy and childbirth and to help lactation.
- “Majboos”: A popular dish usually served at feasts, consisting of yellow rice colored with turmeric, and it has variations such as meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, and “fugah” (a type of fish).
- “Sagoo,” “Khunfaroush,” “Balaleet,” and “Luqaimat”: Qatari sweets are known for their richness in flavors. “Sagoo” is a popular Ramadan sweet in Qatar and eastern Saudi Arabia, made from grains soaked in water, then sugar, ghee, saffron, cardamom, and rose water are added. “Khunfaroush” is a sweet made from eggs, flour, sugar, saffron, and cardamom, appearing as brownish discs, soft from the inside. “Bilalit” consists of vermicelli, sugar, butter, saffron, and cardamom, served with a fried egg; it goes perfectly with tea and “karak.” “Luqaimat” are sweet dumplings soaked in syrup or date syrup, fried and hot, and they are a well-known Gulf Ramadan dessert.
- “Sambusa”: A well-known dish in all Arab countries, served with various fried foods and pastries and usually stuffed with meat, chicken, or vegetables.
7- “Marqouq”: A dish made from dough or bread with vegetables and meat or chicken with Gulf spices. It is similar to “Marqouq” as meat and vegetables broth is added to the dough, but in “Marqouq,” the ingredients are placed during cooking, while in “Thareed,” the broth is added to the bread after cooking and before serving.
These dishes are complemented by other popular dishes, such as “Mehmar,” “Kebab al-Nakhi,” “Mandi,” “Maddghout,” “Haneedh,” “Mazbi,” and others.
Where can you taste these dishes?
Here’s a guide to places where you can find these dishes (15 dishes you shouldn’t miss during your visit to Qatar – (rehlat.ma))