Joanna James
Everyone on tour to the charming Sultanate of Oman is afforded a tantalising complementary tour — a tour of the Gulf nation's authentic local cuisine. Taste your way through the assortment of local Omani dishes and let the mouth-watering Arabian flavours unleash the true foodie in you.
A rather versatile Arabian dish that comes to life in different varieties of both porridge as well as gruel, Harees is a staple in Oman, especially during the festive season of Ramadan. It is believed that this centuries-old dish originated in Saudi Arabia but has since been a favourite throughout the entire Middle East. Staying true to its versatile nature, harees has quite a number of authentic regional varieties employing locally-grown ingredients, but the harees that is commonly seen in Oman is a mix of boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat with water, butter and meat — chicken or lamb but mutton is also a rare choice.
A national dish not just in Oman but in all the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, majboos is a chicken mixed rice dish, which too, just like the aforementioned harees, has its roots deeply embedded in Saudi Arabia. Majboos, machboos or kabsa is immediately reminiscent of Indian biryani to anyone who has had a taste of the local cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, as it is heavily influenced by the famous biryani dish. The chicken mixed with golden-hued rice is not just another dish of the scores of dishes in Omani cuisine, but a communal meal that brings people together, where the locals share a large platter of majboos and eat by hand.
Shuwa is one of those traditional Omani dishes that comes to life only during special occasions because of its extensive cooking and preparation. It is lamb that almost always takes the place of the primary ingredient of this authentic dish, but beef, mutton, and camel meat are also occasional alternatives. The presentation of shuwa is just as incredible as its flavourful relish, where the meat is served on a bed of white rice and complemented by a tangy tomato sauce.
Craving an afternoon sugary snack or a traditional Omani dessert for your traditional Omani meal? Treat yourself to a slice of gelatinous and sticky sweet halwa. Persia may claim the title as the home of halwa, but the inviting confectionery is undeniably something almost all Middle Eastern countries, including the Sultanate of Oman, couldn't live without. For a truly authentic experience of halwa, accompany a cup of kahwa — coffee in Oman — as the locals do.
No Omani experience would be complete without savouring a few of this nature-blessed Middle Eastern delicacy, which is the sweet edible fruit, dates. Almost every Omani restaurant in Muscat or any other part of the country, including the likes offered by Avani Muscat Hotel, is bound to serve at least a few dishes that afford the savouring of nutritious as well as delicious dates.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
