National cuisine in the UAE. What is the national cuisine, traditional dishes and food in the UAE? National dishes of the Arab Emirates

Choosing to travel United Arab Emirates, everyone gets their own - a beach or active holiday with numerous excursions, getting to know the lifestyle of the richest Arab country, which is different from ours, unforgettable shopping, new experiences. Fans of gastronomic tourism will not be offended either - Arabic national cuisine very diverse. You can find everything in it - the simplicity of traditional dishes preserved from the times of the nomadic past, and exquisite luxury worthy of the table of the great sultans.A large number of constantly appearing positive reviews confirm this.
For those who prefer to do without culinary experiments and eat familiar food, there will be no problems - in every city there are many cafes and restaurants with European, Chinese, Indian and any other cuisine. And the oriental flavor goes well with their decor and menu.

ARAB DISHES

To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the East, you definitely need to get to know the traditional dishes of the country.

Street food

To get acquainted with national cuisine, you should not visit pretentious restaurants. For this, the best option would be to visit small cafes and street tents. There you can find any options - from full meals to a variety of snacks. Most often, the dish is wrapped in pita bread, a local bread in the form of a flat soft cake. The bread can be of a different shape - small round pita buns.
Manakish
The dish can be called "fast food in Arabic." This is pita bread (sometimes pita bread) inside which soft cheese melted over a fire, a lot of chopped herbs and chopped olives are placed. They sell manakish fresh and very hot, it is better to wait until it cools down a little and eat it like the Arabs - right with your hands.
Falafel
Emirates often cook at home, but you can try it in any cafe. You have never tried anything like this - chickpeas (“chickpeas”) have not yet become popular on Russian menus. The chickpeas are pureed and then formed into soft balls. After breading in flour, the balls will be fried in fresh olive oil. Most often, falafel is served in pita bread or lettuce leaves with a spicy sauce.
Shawarma or shawarma
The dish, which has become familiar, simple and very tasty (if the recipe is followed and high-quality ingredients are used), is also of oriental origin. Each country has its own cooking characteristics and differences in name. But it is in the UAE that shawarma is made from the freshest juicy meat in soft pita bread, and it is worthy of your attention.
You can choose meat filling - chicken or lamb. It comes with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, generously flavored with paprika, other spices and olive oil.

Spices

An abundance of spices is another feature UAE cuisines. When planning to try new Arabic dishes, it is better to remember the traditions of oriental cuisine - seasonings and spices are not skimped on. Whether you dine in expensive restaurants with a varied menu or stop for a bite to eat at a street stall, it doesn't matter - the food will be well-seasoned and spicy.
Among the favorite spices of chefs are sesame, coriander, cumin (many know it as cumin), curry, cinnamon, and various types of peppers. To appreciate the amazing richness of their assortment, you will have to visit the spice market. There you can decide which of the yet unfamiliar seasonings you like, and which you definitely don’t want to see in your food.

Meze - a small collection of mouth-watering snacks

The “high-speed” rhythms of today are powerless in the face of the philosophical slowness of the East. There's still no It is customary to immediately start a conversation about business or to eat in a hurry, “on the go.” The conversation should have its own introduction, and lunch begins with appetizers or meze served.
A large round dish appears on the table, divided into several separate small cells. They most often contain porridges made from corn and wheat, several types of fresh vegetable salad with a lot of finely chopped parsley, pies with meat, vegetable and cheese filling, babaganoush or mutabal (different types of eggplant caviar), garlic-nut paste. Regardless of the filling, the pies will be triangular.
Even if you are indifferent to eggplants, do not refuse to try mutabal. Caviar, similar to a delicate pate, is made from eggplants baked over coals with the addition of finely chopped nuts, garlic, fresh cilantro, lemon juice and other seasonings. This delicacy has no resemblance to our “overseas eggplant caviar”.
Babaganoush is more like a salad. In addition to baked young eggplants, it contains olive oil, sesame paste, cumin and several other spices.
Among the appetizers, dolma is found - young grape leaves rolled into tubes and stuffed with minced meat or chopped vegetables. Two or three types of cheese are added to this variety.
Some restaurants may serve vegetable meze for free.

First meal

An Arabic meal includes soups based on meat broth with the addition of potatoes, rice and other grains, peas, and beans. The first courses will definitely be served with “kubbe” - flatbreads made of dark flour (coarsely ground) with meat, and several types of “sambusa” - triangular pies. The filling will be different for everyone.
The filling in "lyakhma" will be meat, in "jabna" - cheese, in "sabenekh" - spinach, in "khudar" - vegetables.

Fish and seafood

The Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf allow you to fill a significant part of the menu with fish dishes. There are many restaurants in the Emirates specializing in seafood. They often arrange for visitors to choose their own fish and other seafood. A rich buffet opens before the client - display tables with fish lying among the ice. In other establishments there are huge aquariums with live marine life everywhere. The selection will be immediately taken to the kitchen, asking you to wait a little.
Fish UAE cuisine diverse. The fish is dried, grilled whole or in the form of kebabs. Vegetables serve as a side dish. The combination of hot seasonings with spicy piquant sauces gives a special sophistication.
You can try hamura sea bass, barracuda, which is almost never found here, shark, tuna, several varieties of shrimp, and lobster.
Bricks
These triangle pies, where a thin puff pastry hides a filling of shrimp or fish, will be a great addition to lunch. They are served with fresh herbs and thin slices of lemon.
Sometimes the filling for briki is minced lamb.
Al Madruba
A famous salted fish dish is prepared. It is boiled with the addition of flour and spices. The fish must be served with a spicy, slightly salty sauce.

Meat dishes

Choosing between lamb, chicken, veal and more exotic meats can be confusing at first. You will want to try everything and especially kebabs.This is the most common and favorite way of cooking meat among Arabs. It is prepared in different ways, but always delicious. Sometimes your serving may contain several different types of meat at once. The traditional kebab is especially good - made from juicy lamb marinated in lemon juice and spices. A special sauce is added to fried meat without adding fat.
The risk of “running into” low-quality or old meat is minimal - they are strict about this here.
Biryani
It is almost impossible to visit the Emirates and not try biryani - this is the pinnacle of the skills of local chefs. Visit restaurants that specialize in this dish.
It's hard to describe its taste - it's something special. But to get a little idea, it’s enough to list the ingredients. Biryani is prepared from lamb, chicken or fish, several types of vegetables and rice. The dish owes its taste to several spices, slowly fried in a thick frying pan. A layer of meat cut into narrow strips (or fatty fish) will then be placed there. Vegetables are laid out on top, with rice as the final layer. And only the Basmati variety - thin to the point of transparency, elongated grains are quickly saturated with seasonings and meat juice. Some cooks add raisins and pistachios.According to the description, the dish may seem similar to pilaf, but this is not so, the taste is completely different.
Among the traditional main dishes of the United Arab Emirates there are others
Tabbouleh made from crushed boiled wheat with finely chopped mint and parsley.
The residents' favorite khomus is pea paste with lots of sesame seeds and lemon.
Kharis is an original dish made from lamb cooked with wheat. Most of all, the wheat side dish in it resembles the usual Russian porridge-kutya.
Lamb is also used to prepare guzi. Rice mixed with nuts is placed on the side dish.
Makboos fry uses chicken or lamb. The rice for the dish is seasoned with a large amount of sautéed onions and tomatoes. The meat is fried on spits, just like in our kebab. There are a lot of kebabs here: lamb shish kebab, minced meat is used for kofta. And the cutlet with the funny name “kustileta” has a filling of herbs.
Small fried kebbe meat balls are served with a large portion of the side dish. They even have their own version of pizza - "rice".
The kebab itself is called “tikka” here.
It will be interesting to try “kussa makhshi”. These are young zucchini stuffed with a mixture of vegetables or meat.
Many different dishes are prepared from chickens:
- “al-mandi” - poultry coated with honey is steamed;
- shish kebab "tikka-dajaj";
- “jaj-tannuri” with a sharp, straight-burning taste;
- small carcasses of crispy quail "samman" especially loved by local residents.
It is customary to garnish the bird with vegetable salads and rice. Everything will be tasty and spicy, sprinkled with herbs.

Desserts in Arabic

Sweets occupy a special place in the cuisine of all Eastern countries. Pies with sweet fillings, many varieties of jam, candied fruits, pies with cheese, nuts, raisins, a dozen varieties of donuts with honey, syrups and cream. That's not all, because there are also world-famous Turkish delight and pistachio or almond halva, sorbet and dates.
It is the dates and desserts that you must try only in the UAE. The health benefits of dates have been known since ancient oriental healers, and modern Arabs use them in different types and combinations. Dates stuffed with almonds are usually eaten for breakfast and served with tea and coffee. Those with a sweet tooth can find dates dipped in chocolate or honey, baked into flatbreads and eaten with fresh butter.
But you don’t need to go to the shops for traditional delicacies - look for them among the colorful and colorful bazaars. Local vendors have all types and varieties of desserts to try on site or take home.
Umm Ali
It is prepared for the family table on special days or for treating guests. Compared to other desserts, it doesn't seem overly sweet. Impregnation of the dough with aromatic syrups makes it tender. Umm Ali always contains a lot of pieces of dried fruits, raisins and nuts.
Mechalabia
Another sweet pudding with a generous soaking of rose water and a thick layer of crushed pistachios on top.
Ash asaya
It is also advisable to try an unusual taste pie with cheese, generously smeared with cream.
Halva
Pistachio is considered the most delicious; there are many others that are no less pleasant. The only thing that can be called its drawback is excessive sweetness. But what pleasure can you experience from a piece of halva with aromatic tea!

Cold and hot drinks

The hot climate and dry air cause thirst among natives of colder countries who are unaccustomed to them. You can satisfy it with natural freshly squeezed juices. In any tent you will be offered 6-8 different ones and any mixes you wish.
Be sure to visit coffee shops, they are found everywhere. The smell of fresh coffee carries far, tempting you to come in and have a cup. A good establishment can be identified by its cozy atmosphere, conducive to comfortable relaxation and aroma. They avoid bright lighting, preferring twilight.
The coffee they like here is a little unusual for us - they use unroasted (or very lightly roasted) beans for brewing. Coffee makers and coffee machines are not in demand here. It is brewed according to all the “eastern” rules - in a cezve on hot sand or in a special copper coffee pot. If you like light Arabian coffee, you can buy some beans at any market.
Tea is also consumed in the Emirates. More often they complete a hearty meal of meat dishes. Green tea is especially popular. It is brewed with the addition of various herbs - sage and mint.
You can partake in an exotic meal on board a large dhow or among the sand dunes in the desert.

What you might encounter when visiting local restaurants and bars

If you go to a restaurant and see the “Members only” sign on the door, you will have to choose another establishment. Visitors with a "Guest of Honor" card and regular members will be served here.
There are certain requirements for clothing and the appearance of a visitor whose clothing does not meet these standards may be refused. In this case, you will have to obey and leave.
In most restaurants, tips are included in the price of meals. You can read this on the menu you brought.

Several food-related features of the Emirates

Tourists are warmly welcomed, creating all the conditions for a comfortable and interesting stay. But nothing can change the foundations of life of a Muslim state living according to the laws and rules of its religion. Everyone arriving in the UAE has to take this into account.
During the holy month of Ramadan for all Muslims, eating and drinking is allowed only at certain hours (between sunset and sunrise). During this entire period, cafes and restaurants will be closed during the day, and no food will be sold on the streets. They will not open until 20:00.
Tourists are advised to respect traditions by abstaining from eating and drinking in public places and on the streets.
Another, even stricter ban concerns pork. You won't find pork dishes in regular restaurants. For a juicy chop or crispy ribs, you will have to go to a specialized establishment.
You cannot drink alcohol in public places. It is not available for free sale either. When choosing a hotel, you can check whether it has a sales license. These restrictions apply to alcohol of any strength.

It is impossible to talk about all the features of Arabic cuisine - there are too many of them. But even a brief overview is enough to help you understand the complex and exotic traditions of this unusual country for us and avoid awkward moments.
We hope that the information and advice will be useful and make your trip even more enjoyable.

Buffet at the hotel

If you are going on holiday to the UAE, of course, you will involuntarily think about food in this eastern country. We have all heard about the expensive and fairly high standard of living of many people in these places. Therefore, we involuntarily begin to doubt our budget and our own strengths. Of course, having arrived at the hotel, you don’t have to leave it and eat everything that will be on the buffet. Moreover, many hotel complexes offer quite varied and familiar food. However, all this can get boring very quickly. After all, we do not come to the East to join our own European culture. We want to get to know the local people better, consider their lifestyle, cities, and also get to know the national cuisine.

Trying to find exotic things within the hotel walls, you will order food much more expensive than it is. But, in principle, it is sometimes impossible to refuse freshly squeezed juice and ordinary Mediterranean food.

Going for a walk through Arab cities, you involuntarily begin to regret not learning English. If you know at least a few phrases and understand the words, then you will have no difficulty finding something to eat. Here in every establishment they speak English and can also give you some advice.

Restaurant, Dubai

To start a conversation about food, it's important to focus on drinks. As a rule, a Russian person immediately begins to associate food with alcoholic drinks. So, here everything is very strict with them. Drinking is only permitted on hotel premises. Outside its borders, drinking alcohol carries heavy penalties.

So, let's take a closer look at the national food. The UAE has a very diverse and multinational cuisine. Here you can see many different establishments that belong to foreign cuisines and are run by migrants from other countries. Therefore, everyone will find something very tasty and unusual for themselves. You can find cozy Japanese restaurants in every city, and also order delicious pizza. Even Russian establishments are open.

Speaking of meat preparations, dishes from beef and veal are often offered here, and you can often try chicken shish kebab. Camel meat is a very rare product, like pork.

Seafood

Since the Emirates is located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, in every cafe you can taste the delights of seafood dishes. Preparations from fish, shellfish and other marine life are not very exotic here.

Since the UAE is considered a very dry place, vegetables are rarely found in dishes. Basically, legumes and onions are present in the preparations. Hummus is considered very popular.

As for fruits, there is always a wide variety of dates, figs, oranges, and tangerines. There are plenty of them here. Therefore, everyone can enjoy the freshest fruit desserts.

Since nature endowed these places with hot sun and excellent weather, many restaurants tried to come up with a way to extend the shelf life of their dishes. Thus, spices and herbs began to be used for this purpose. Despite their ability to make dishes tasty for a long time, their smell will be remembered for a long time.

An integral part of any trip is getting to know a new cuisine. Each country is rich in its own national characteristics in this area, and the United Arab Emirates is no exception.

As already mentioned, the UAE is a Muslim country, and tourists should not forget about the peculiarities associated with this. For example, before the trip, it is worth checking whether the month of Ramadan falls during this period, since at this time you cannot eat and drink from sunrise to sunset, and, even if you are not a Muslim, it is better not to do this openly on the streets of the city, so as not to cause indignation among the local population. In the Emirates, they do not eat in public transport and public places (fine AED 100 ≈ $28), such an offense is fraught with a large fine, and it is advisable not to even chew gum.

Most Arabic dishes are served with bread - either flat-shaped pita bread or pita - round-shaped buns. A striking example here is the manakish dish - melted cheese wrapped in a flatbread or pita with finely chopped olives and sprinkled with herbs.

Despite the fact that Arabs love meat very much, you will never see pork in national restaurants, since they consider a pig a dirty animal. And if you still really want to eat a pork chop, you will have to look for a restaurant of a different nationality - fortunately, there are no problems with this in the Emirates - cuisines of all nations of the world are represented here. But other types of meat - lamb, beef, veal, goat, poultry - are available in any restaurant in the UAE.

What to try in the UAE

The meat is cooked here without adding oil or other fats, which is why it acquires such a special taste and aroma. The most popular meat dishes in the UAE are kebabs - a shish kebab-like dish, often made from different types of meat, served on skewers or in a sandwich, sometimes made from minced meat or meat shavings.

The dish shawarma (called shawarma here) will seem very familiar to our tourists - young lamb or chicken meat, fried on a spit and wrapped in the thinnest flatbread. This dish is often prepared right on the street in small cafes - the aroma is such that not a single passerby can resist. But the distinctive feature of Arabic shawarma is that you can be 100% sure of its quality and there is absolutely no need to be afraid of buying it on the street.

It is worth trying in the UAE such dishes as biryani - a dish of basmati rice with the addition of a number of spices and a piece of meat or fish, guzi - lamb meat with rice and nuts, makbus - roast chicken or lamb with rice. Rice is generally the most popular side dish here. Most often in restaurants you do not have to order a side dish - when you order meat, you get a side dish in addition.

Cube and Harris - meat pies - are popular.

Arabic cuisine is rich in various spices; in Dubai there is even a whole spice market - “Spice Souk”. Any national dish will be generously strewn with seasonings, the most popular of which are cinnamon, sesame, chili pepper, curry, coriander, garlic, and aromatic herbs.

As a maritime country, the UAE is also rich in seafood dishes - a wide variety - from tiger prawns to shark, and in most restaurants you can even choose from the sea creatures presented in the aquarium or on a huge layout with ice that you want to eat, and you can eat them They'll be happy to cook it right away. Traditionally, fish is cooked over charcoal, but sometimes a grill is also used. The most popular fish dishes are: briki - seafood, namely various types of fish or shrimp fried in a thin dough, and al-Madruba - boiled salted fish with spices and flour. You can't go wrong by simply ordering fried fish, crab, lobster or shrimp - they will definitely be served with the most delicious sauces, rice and flatbreads - you won't try this anywhere else.

Before the main meal, you will, as a rule, be offered a meze snack completely free of charge - a huge dish divided into portions of vegetable salads, pastes from different types of nuts and legumes, porridge, muffins with cheese or meat, or thick soups. This category of dishes includes, for example, khomus (aka hummus) - a paste made from peas, sesame seeds and lemon juice, tabbouleh - a snack made from mint, parsley and wheat, kussamakhshi - stuffed zucchini. Another popular vegetable dish in Arab cuisine is falafel - balls of ground chickpeas or other legumes fried in flour and olive oil. By the way, if oil is used in Arab cuisine, preference is always given to olive oil.

The daily diet of Arabs also includes a lot of fermented milk products, especially cheeses.

So we slowly approached the most interesting part of the section, namely oriental sweets. The range of confectionery products presented in Dubai is one of the widest in the world; sweets are sold for every taste. Their main advantage is their naturalness - nuts, dried fruits, honey, spices. Tourists are very fond of local umm ali and mechalabiya puddings, pistachio baklava and sherbet, eshasaya cheese pie, dates with almonds, Turkish delight - the list goes on and on. It is oriental sweets that are one of the main “souvenirs” that tourists bring home as a reminder of a wonderful trip or as a gift to family and friends, so that they can also experience the whole fairy tale of oriental culture.

The UAE is a hot country, so drinks play a very important role here. Arabs prefer to drink mineral water, sometimes they also drink tap water - sanitary standards allow. A wide selection of freshly squeezed juices is beyond any competition - in any establishment or street cafe, before your eyes they will prepare an amazing fresh juice or fruit cocktail, which is strikingly different from the ones we are used to, because real fresh juice is thick and aromatic, it conveys the true taste of fruit, which you may not have even thought about. Many tourists are amazed, for example, by fresh avocado - it would seem that a fruit does not have the most pronounced taste qualities, but the taste of this juice is amazing; it is most often added to various fruit cocktails. It can also serve as an excellent snack, as avocados are quite high in calories and nutrition.

A separate ritual in the UAE is drinking coffee - here it is a drink for relaxation and leisurely conversation. Coffee is brewed with the addition of various spices and herbs according to traditional Arabic recipes, of which there are many. The most popular type of coffee is light Arabian, the main difference of which is the unroasted beans. In any case, coffee is brewed independently - without the use of coffee makers and machines. Coffee is served in traditional Arabic “dalla” coffee pots and poured into small bowls.

Since the country has a “prohibition” law, alcohol is prohibited in the country. It can only be purchased in duty-free stores - “Duty Free” - and in some hotels and restaurants licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. But, in any case, you should be extremely careful with their use, taking into account the strict legislation of the UAE. Under no circumstances should you drink alcoholic beverages in public places, appear on the street or drive while intoxicated - the punishment will be very severe - from a hefty fine and deportation from the country to imprisonment.

If you have visited Dubai or any other city in the UAE for the first time, you should definitely get to know the gastronomic preferences of the local population, since it is impossible to understand and experience the culture of another people without completely immersing yourself in their usual rhythm of life, without trying for yourself everything that comes from consists of the life of an ordinary representative of this people.

Enjoy your meal! And bright impressions!

There are not so many must-sees; in the summer season, walking is only comfortable in the late evening, so we suggest going straight to the list of dishes that every self-respecting tourist traveling to Dubai should try.

1 Manakish or manaish

Melted cheese in pita or unleavened flatbread is usually served as an appetizer to the main course.

Manakish

In a proper manakish, the cheese should be of the brine type, like suluguni or feta cheese, with the addition of sesame seeds and a spicy mixture - za'atar. The basis of the mixture is made up of aromatic spices: cumin, oregano, sumac, thyme, marjoram and sea salt.

Cheese flatbreads are served with olive oil, to which za'atar is first added. Manakish is eaten by dipping a small piece of flatbread in spicy oil.

2 Biryani

Arabic cuisine is famous for its incredible meat dishes, and lamb meat is especially popular among tourists. Exactly biryani with lamb opens the world of gastro culture to UAE tourists.

Biryani

Pre-marinated in spices and fried pieces of meat are placed on boiled rice, to which raisins and pistachios are added.

There can be many variations of this dish: chicken, fish, lamb or just vegetables.

3 Mezze (hummus, cheese or meat pies, baba ganoush and olives)

The Italians would call mezze nothing less than antipasti.

This is a mix of different pastas served with traditional unleavened pita bread or pita bread.

Hummus- an integral dish of Eastern cuisine, prepared from boiled chickpeas and tahini paste, the recipe for which you can see.

Mezze: hummus, babaganoush, ...

Babaganush– paste made from grated baked eggplants and a lot of garlic.

The olives in this region are amazing in the number of varieties, sizes, shapes and tastes. Must have for a tourist — try all types of olives and better in combination with traditional snacks.

4 Al Harees

A dish that is most often prepared for an important event, for example, a wedding or the main Muslim holiday - Ramadan.

– boiled wheat with meat, which is cooked for a long time until all the moisture has evaporated, and then stewed overnight in the oven. The “porridge” is served by generously pouring melted melted butter over the dishes. This is a very simple dish in composition and has a specific aroma.

5

- These are crispy chickpea balls, served both in an expensive restaurant and as Eastern street fast food.

The tender falafel is reminiscent of a meatball prepared by frying in oil, although it is little more than pureed chickpeas prepared in a different way. Today, chickpea dishes (falafel, hummus) are confidently finding fans in different parts of the world and becoming the main dish of the vegetarian diet.

6 Shawarma

Better known to residents of megacities as “ shawarma" In Dubai, shawarma is one of the most affordable, tasty and satisfying dishes. Among the local fast food chains, there is a line whose menu has a dozen shawarma options and serves it, as a rule, unassembled, leaving the right of choice to the client.

And everything seems to be very simple, but juicy meat, sauce, vegetables, olives make shawarma in Dubai truly the most delicious food.

7 Fattoush

Fattoush- This is a traditional bread salad, which includes a standard set of vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, fresh carrots, radishes, as well as various aromatic herbs, among which mint is considered obligatory. However, what makes this salad special are the dried pita pieces, which play the role of croutons in the famous Caesar salad.

The presence of sourness in the salad is ensured by seasoning sumac, thanks to which a simple vegetable salad acquires a unique oriental aroma.

8 Bricks

Two gulfs at once, the Persian and Oman, wash the shores of the UAE, thanks to which fish and seafood dishes are in abundance here.

It’s hard to surprise a sophisticated gourmet with grilled fish steaks, so we suggest trying triangular pies Bricks, which are prepared from the thinnest dough and fried in oil.

Briki, UAE

9 Al Madruba

The most famous fish dish in the UAE. Al Madruba- fish prepared in two ways at once: boiling and salting. At the same time, the taste of the fish is quite specific and it is served in combination with sauce.

Al Madruba

They say that the taste combination of fish and sauce has awarded al-Madruba the first dish in popularity among tourists.

From meat and fish dishes we smoothly move on to desserts.

10 Dates

The subtropical climate is ideal for date palms. Once you find yourself in the sweets section of a Dubai store, you will be amazed by the abundance of options for preparing dates: in any kind of chocolate, stuffed with nuts, in the form of jam, dried, dried, giant and small.

All dates in the UAE are of high quality, meaty, juicy and the locals certainly know a lot about their preparation.

Dates are served as an addition to tea, and if you are planning to buy souvenirs, it is better to opt for a box of local dates rather than a Chinese magnet.

If you want something especially original or interesting during your vacation, go on a gourmet tour to the United Arab Emirates.

The cuisine in the United Emirates is very similar to the cuisine of other Arab countries. Religion and climatic features had a huge influence on it. For example, it is precisely because of religious beliefs that they do not eat pork here, so meat dishes mainly include goat, veal, beef, poultry, and fish and egg dishes are also common.

When you are in, find some colorful family restaurant on the old streets. Because this is where you can taste truly national food. Such restaurants will surprise you not only with their taste, but also with their unsurpassed interior.

For example, the Al Arish restaurant (Al Boom Tourist Village) is made in the form of a hut under palm trees. It is called the "most Dubai" of all Arabic restaurants. Located in the tourist village Al-Boom Village near the Al Maktoum Bridge (12:00 - 16:00 and 19:00 - 24:00, tel. 324-30-00). You can try meat here from 50 dirhams, and salads from 30. A three-course lunch per person will cost about 100 dirhams (about 20 euros). Al Arish is the only restaurant in all of Dubai that serves meat from 4-5 month old camels - khiuar.

In the Emirates, tourists can also organize a picnic in the desert with Bedouins or dinner on a traditional Arab dhow boat. On the beach you can have a barbecue under the romantic eastern stars. And recently, the country's first restaurant serving only ostrich meat opened in the UAE.

Very popular in the land of sheikhs lamb meat. While walking along the streets, you can see how food is cooked over low heat in restaurants. machbus- meat with spices and rice or charis- the same lamb meat with specially prepared wheat. And such a dish as guzi will definitely conquer you. This is a whole lamb served with rice and nuts.

You will definitely find snacks on restaurant menus. khomus- pea and sesame seed paste and tabbouleh- finely chopped mint, parsley and crushed wheat.

Considered a traditional Arabic snack shawarma. This is lamb or chicken with salad, wrapped in an Arabic crust. This mini-dish can be purchased at special stalls for $1-2. They also sell known to us kebab, shawarma And falafel.

Arabic cuisine is characterized by the preparation of stewed and fried meat. Thanks to the heat treatment of meat without adding fat, the dishes are particularly rich, soft and have excellent taste.

Arabs also add originality to exoticism. If you order varak nab And Kussa Makshi, then they will bring you rice in grape leaves. To feel at home, you can order small stuffed zucchini, they are called here kurzhet.

Don't forget about seafood dishes. They will definitely not understand you if you leave the Emirates without trying exotic dishes with seafood. Lobster, crab, tuna and shrimp are often served with rice and special seasonings. In specialized fish restaurants there is a “choose your own” option. There are fish and seafood on ice on trays. You point out what you liked, and after 10-15 minutes they bring you the finished dish. Such pleasure costs from 100 to 200 dihrams (215-430 hryvnia).

The desserts here are truly incredible! Try a variety of bread pudding - umm ali. Esh-asaya or as-saraya is a sweet curd pie with a creamy top. Mechalabia or pistachio pudding topped with pink nut cream is delicious. Also try baklava, donuts with honey - ligmat, sorbet.

Coffee in the UAE - not just a drink for conversation, but a whole art. In the Emirates, there is no question of machine guns. The coffee is prepared on site, poured from traditional dalla coffee pots into small bowls. Of course, from hundreds of varieties you can choose coffee to suit your taste. However, first of all, be sure to try the light Arabian with cardamom in a traditional Arab restaurant.

Finally, let’s add: you can never worry about the quality of products in the UAE - they control it very meticulously here.