Have you heard anything about Qatar's national cuisine? Hardly, because it's really hard to find a restaurant in Doha that serves traditional cuisine.
It's all about the fact that Qatar's already not very pronounced culinary traditions have now been almost completely supplanted by people from other countries who come here and open their own national restaurants. So you're bound to come across Indian, Pakistani, Arabic, and European restaurants.
What to eat in Qatar
Meat is a scarce product in the Qatari diet. But you can eat it on excursions to Bedouins or in restaurants with international cuisine. But fish and seafood, rice and pulses, vegetables and fruits, and spices are present in the diet.
For breakfast and dinner, Qatar usually serves light snacks (cheese, coffee, yogurt, olives), and for lunch, a main course and many appetizers (fish or meat with salads or boiled vegetables).
Bedouin cuisine
You're more likely to get a taste of Qatar's traditional dishes if you go on a desert safari tour. There, you'll get a glimpse into a Bedouin camp and sample dishes prepared according to ancient ethnic recipes.
It's impossible to say with absolute certainty, however, that you'll be delighted by the Bedouin treats. With food resources constantly scarce, the three main ingredients in Bedouin cuisine are meat, dates, and camel's milk. Dishes made with these foods may taste quite strange to tourists.
Which dishes in Doha are worth a tourist's try
- Warak enab - rice wrapped in grape leaves.
- Biryani - rice dish with chicken or lamb seasoned with spicy spices.
- Mahbus - stewed dish of meat, seafood, and rice.
- Gyuzi - roasted lamb on a spit.
- Bread pudding - pieces of puff pastry, almonds, and raisins, which are poured with milk and baked.
- Mahalabiya - a dessert consisting of starch with milk, flower water, pistachios, and cinnamon.
- Arabic cheesecake is a cottage cheese sponge decorated with cream or cream.
