Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Traditional Omani Food

Traditional Omani Food:
The Omani people are well known for their hospitality and offers of *******ment. To be invited into someone's home will mean coffee (kahwa), a strong, bitter drink flavoured with cardamom, and dates or halwa, a sticky sweet gelatinous substance which is made from brown sugar, eggs, honey and spices. It can be flavoured with many different ingredients, such as nuts, rosewater or even chocolate. Lokhemat is another accompaniment to coffee, which are balls of flour and yeast flavoured with cardamom and deep fried until golden then served with a sweet lime and cardamom syrup. The sweetness of this dish often counteracts the bitterness of the kahwa.More substantial meals often have rice as the main ingredient, together with cooked meats. The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter. Maqbous is a rice dish, tinged yellow with saffron and cooked over a spicy red or white meat. Aursia is a festival meal, served during celebrations, which consists of mashed rice flavoured with spices. Another popular festival meal is shuwa, which is meat cooked very slowly (sometimes for up to two days) in an underground clay oven. The meat becomes extremely tender and it is impregnated with spices and herbs before cooking to give it a very distinct taste. Fish is often used in main dishes too, and the kingfish is a popular ingredient. Mashuai is a meal comprising whole spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice. The rukhal bread is a thin, round bread originally baked over a fire made from palm leaves. It is eaten at any meal, typically served with Omani honey for breakfast or crumbled over curry for dinner.Traditional Crafts: HALWAOmani halwa (sweet) is famous at home and abroad as a symbol of traditional Omani hospitality. It .is usually served in Omani homes before dr,inking Arabic coffee.The main ingredients which go into the making of halwa are: starch, eggs, sugar, water, ghee, saffron, cardamom, nuts and rose water from the Jebel al Akdhar. The ingredients are mixed, in proportions and quantities known only to the skilled halwamaker, and cooked in a mirjnl (large cooking pot used especially for halwa) for a time of not less than 2 hours.The cooking can be done over a gas or electric stove, but the preferred method is over a wood fire made up of snmr wood, known for its durability, smoke and odourfree properties.After cooking, the halwa can be preserved for more than four months without losing its quality, and without the need for refrigeration or preserving agents.Halwa is usually served in a dist, a large earthenware bowl, which can vary in size and composition according to demand or type of occasion. The list can also be made of metal or plastic. Halwa is invariably served at times of joy or sorrow and, on religious occasions and festivals. It graces the tables of every Omani home.

1 comment:

Tt said...

I like omani food. My comment, good idea about traditional omani food and give more information about it.