One of the wonders of the unique Omani culture is the exceptional mouthwatering traditional cuisine. From dates and coffee, to rice and grilled meat, here are the top Omani dishes that every visitor must try during their visit to the country.
Shuwa
Shuwa is a celebratory Omani dish that is only prepared on special occasions like Eid. During the festival, many families in Oman begin cooking their Shuwa on the first day and consume the dish on the second day.
The making of the dish is a very long and elaborate process. On the first day of Eid, the meat, which is typically lamb, goat or camel, is marinated with all kinds of spices. Each household has their own blend of ingredients that they use, including spices like coriander, nutmeg and cumin. Then the meat is wrapped in banana leaves and thrown into an underground sand oven. It is cooked underground for a day or two and then hoisted up from the ground ready to be eaten. Once the meat is taken out of the ground, it is tender with a layer of crispy spices around it. It is served with rice and tomato sauce.
Dates
Palm trees are the most frequently seen plantations around Oman. They produce mouth-watering dates. Differing in size, color, and tenderness, these dates are one of the essential meal items that are presented to every guest as part of the wonderful Omani hospitality. Sometimes, Omanis mix dried dates with sesame paste and sesame or ground coconut. They also use them in preparing different types of desserts and Omani sweets.
Harees
Harees is a porridge-like dish made from wheat and ghee, mixed in with some type of meat (often chicken). The word Harees comes from the Arabic harasaor even older, the Akkadian ‘harasu,’ which refers to the mashing of meat with barley or shelled whole grains of wheat. The bone-in meat is often first cooked separately before combining with the starch, de-boned and then rhythmically pounded into a smooth paste. It is undoubtedly one of the most ancient and popular iftar dishes across the Gulf countries during Ramadan.
Halwa
Halwa means dessert in Arabic. However, Halwa is also the name given to the most famous Omani sweets. It has a strong texture that is thicker than custard. Although Halwa is brown-colored, there is no chocolate used in its preparation. Omani Halwa consists of sugar, honey, rose water, eggs, several Omani spices and nuts. It is usually served with kahwa and dates. Omanis present it on one big plate with several spoons so that guests and visitors can share in the deliciousness.
Mushaltat
A well-known delicacy in Oman is Mushaltat, which is soft flatbread stuffed with honey, meat, spinach or cheese. The bread is made out of refined wheat flour and kneaded into thin cakes, stuffed with ingredients and baked for about 5 minutes.
Mashuai
Mashuai is a tasty Omani fish dish. It consists of grilled kingfish with a special savory lemon sauce. With the traditional Omani spices, this dishes is uniquely mouthwatering and should not be missed on a visit to the country.
Bablou Soup
Omani paplou soup is a fish or seafood soup. It is often made with tuna and tuna roe, however shellfish and other types of fish can also be used. This dish is loved in the coastal regions of Oman. It has a wonderful citrus flavor that counterbalances the heat along with a wonderful paste made from garlic, ginger and cilantro. The soup is served over a heap of basmati rice and garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.
See more:
Top places to visit Oman
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