Top Local Foods of Abu Dhabi - Mouthwatering Meals

The best part of dining Abu Dhabi is there great hospitality and generosity. For generations Arabs are known to traditionally feast in large groups, sharing not only good food but also warmth and brotherhood. From the time of the Bedouin tribes Arabs have dined under the desert sky seated on low cushions with a spread of traditional delights adorning the short-legged dinner tables. Even today visitors cannot only taste the traditional Emirati flavours they can also dine in true Middle Eastern style.

Emiratis enjoy lots of meat dishes however stuffed camel is by far the most distinct. This is a dish recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the biggest dishes served in the world - this is one reason to try it! Stuffed camel is actually a traditional Bedouin cuisine usually served at wedding ceremonies. However, now it has become a dish that visitors look forward to taste when they are in Abu Dhabi. A full-grown camel is usually stuffed with one lamb or sheep, twenty chickens, boiled eggs, fish and rice. The camel is roasted as a whole and then cut into pieces.

This dish is also called Majboos or Makboos. It's a pretty straightforward dish of rice and meat however the secret lies in the seasoning of spices and salt when preparing the meat. Al Machboos is served with chicken, beef, goat, lamb or shrimp in Abu Dhabi. The meat is usually cooked with onions and potatoes along with other ingredients such as tomatoes and of course spices. The succulent meat curry is usually served onto a plate of plain steamed rice. It may sound simple but the taste is truly to die for. You can enjoy the flavours of this dish at the best restaurants in Abu Dhabi or when at resorts such as Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villas.

Another popular Emirati dish is Al Harees. A very few ingredients go into preparing this however it takes hours to finish making it. Ground wheat is added to a pot with some salt and meat is mixed into it with water. This mixture is cooked for hours until it turns into a smooth paste. Then the paste is poured into a clay pot and then cooked overnight in a coal oven. Ghee is added as the final ingredient to give it more flavour. This is usually served for special occasions such as wedding ceremonies and Ramadan festival. Al Harees is a very heavy and filling meal

The taste of shawarma is never the same unless you've had it in the Middle East. This is one of the most popular Arabic dishes in the world however it tastes much yummier when you actually try it in Abu Dhabi. Shawarma is a spicy meat stir-fry, which is wrapped in an Arabic Roti (flatbread).