The
Essence of.....Qatar
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
Kennedy House |
|
Currency |
Riyal |
|
Capital |
Doha |
|
Language |
Arabic |
|
Main Airlines |
Qatar Airways |
|
Flying Time from UK |
7 Hours 25 mins |
|
Visa |
Yes |
PROFILE
Qatar is an exceptional place to illustrate all types of Gulf and Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as Iranian and Turkish. For the reason that the workday starts in the early hours, breakfast is frequently served at about six o’clock a m. It is easy, made of olives, cheese, yoghurt and coffee. But lunch is the main meal of the day. People eat after one o’clock post meridian; lunch regularly begins with appetizers, followed by fish or Lamb stew, salads, cooked vegetables, bread and fruit. Dinner is served late in the evening and is more often than not light, with the exception of Ramadan and on particular occasions.
Local plates consist of matchbous which is spiced Lamb with rice, hareis which is prepared by slow-cooked Wheat and tender Lamb and seafood eaten with seasoned rice. Qatar cuisine also contains especially desserts including "Khabees" which a dessert prepared by using semoolina, rosewater, cardommom, saffron, nuts and dates. As well as "Aseeda", "Lugaymat" ( dumplings fried in deep oil and sweetened using honey or sugar syrup). Desserts are normally enjoyed with a cup of Arabic coffee.
Many kinds of fish and seafood are available in Qatar, including lobster, crab, shrimp, tuna, kingfish and red snapper. Lamb and mutton are favourite meats. Milk from cows or goats is usually made into laban (yoghurt) or labneh (cream cheese). Rice and cracked wheat, called burghul (bulgur), are used in many dishes.
Common Arab specialities include hummus (a paste made from chickpeas and sesame seeds), tabbouleh (chopped parsley, mint and crushed wheat), ghuzi (a whole roast lamb on a bed of rice mixed with nuts), wara enab (vine leaves stuffed with rice), koussa mahshi (stuffed zucchini) and shawarma (grilled shavings of lamb or chicken, mixed with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arab bread).