Omani cuisine facts for kids

Kabsa is also known as machboos in the Persian Gulf region.

Omani cuisine is the delicious food from Oman, a country in the Middle East. It's part of a bigger food style called Khaleeji cuisine. Omani food has been influenced by many cultures because Oman was once a huge trading empire. This means you'll find flavors from Arab countries, Pakistan, Iran, India, other parts of Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and even Africa.

Many Omani dishes use chicken, fish, and lamb, with rice as a main ingredient. They often have a rich mix of spices, herbs, and special marinades. What makes Omani food a bit different from other foods in the Arabian Peninsula is that it's usually less spicy and not always served super hot.

It's important to know that people who are Muslim in Oman do not eat pork. This is because of their religious laws, called Sharia.

What Makes Omani Food Special?

Even though Omani food can be a little different in various parts of Oman, most dishes share some common things. You'll often find curry, cooked meat, rice, and vegetables. Soups are also very popular. They are usually made with chicken, lamb, or vegetables, like smoked eggplant. The biggest meal of the day is usually eaten around lunchtime, and dinner is often lighter.

Popular Omani Dishes to Try

Main Dishes and Hearty Meals

• Harees is a thick, yummy paste made from wheat and either meat or chicken. It's cooked for a long time until it's very soft. People usually eat it with their fingers or a spoon, often with some melted butter called ghee on top.
• Qabuli is a special rice dish. It's cooked with camel meat or chicken until both the meat and rice are perfectly done. A little ghee is added at the end. Qabuli is an Omani dish that comes from the Dhofar region.
• Kebab is a dish of meat that's been seasoned with spices and salt, then put on skewers. It's usually chicken or beef. Kebabs are cooked on a barbecue or grill and served with vegetables.
• Machboos is a flavorful rice dish. Sometimes it's colored with saffron. The rice is cooked in the same water that the chicken or meat was cooked in, which gives it a lot of taste.
• Mashuai is a whole kingfish that's roasted on a spit. It's often served with lemon rice.
• Muqalab is a unique dish made from parts like heart, liver, lungs, and tripe. These are cooked with many different spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, ginger, garlic, and nutmeg.
• Shuwaa is a very special meal that people only eat on holidays and big celebrations. It involves large pieces of goat, sheep, cow, or camel meat. The meat is marinated in a spicy date paste and then roasted in a special oven. This oven is actually a pit dug in the ground! Preparing Shuwaa is often a group activity for an entire village. The meat is flavored with many spices, wrapped in sacks made of dry leaves, and then placed into the pit oven.

Soups and Sweets

• Sakhana is a thick soup. It's made from wheat, dates, molasses, and milk. People often eat it during the holy month of Ramadan.
• Albadhinajan mae tawarikh is a type of cake. It's made from eggplant, dates, and onions.

What Do Omanis Drink?

Coffee is the national drink of Oman. It's a big part of showing hospitality to guests. Tea is also often offered to visitors. Other popular drinks include laban, which is a salty buttermilk, different kinds of yogurt drinks, and soft drinks. Omani kahwa (coffee) is often mixed with cardamom powder and served with dates and Omani halwa, a sweet dessert.

See also

In Spanish: Gastronomía de Omán para niños