Monday, July 29, 2013

Ramadan 2013 – Day 19, Traditional Qatari Ramadan Foods



Out at Ezdan Mall they had some posters for traditional Qatari foods, including the recipes. I've eaten most of them at one point or another.



My first encounter with harees was at a wedding. A container of it was being passed around the table and given that there were no plates or cutlery people were just scooping some out with their fingers and eating it. Some of my friends declined (imagine passing around a jar of white peanut butter and everyone was dipping their fingers in it) but I dug in. In truth I find the taste of it very plain, kind of like porridge without sugar or much spice. That many times it has little pieces of meat blended in with it makes for an odd experience.



Elqaimat is a staple at any wedding or buffet featuring Arabic cuisine. Tiny balls of fried dough sweetened with sugar syrup or honey. They are smaller and crispier than a doughnut hole.



Another standard dessert at an Arabic buffet, though I never knew its name before. The sign also says it's eaten at breakfast, something I've never tried before. A pretty straightforward dish, cooked vermicelli which I assume is sweetened with sugar syrup or honey. I've also seen it served drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.



It was interesting to see a sign for thareed as I mentioned it just a week ago when blogging about a friend’s iftar. I'm sure I've had it other times in the past but didn't know what its name was.

I believe on the weekend during Ramadan there is a stall at Ezdan Mall food court where ladies are preparing these dishes for you to try. Check it out if you have time.

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