Qatari Cuisine

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Overview of Qatari Cuisine History
Enclosed by water on three sides, Qatar is a peninsula in the Arabian Gulf. Qatar it’s just have land limit at the southern end where meets Saudi Arabia. Qatar enjoys sunshine just about everyday of the year and for this the most used dishes are vegetables, fish and fruits. Arabian cuisine is based on the traditional foods of the nomadic tribes; Qatar cuisine keeps its historic status as an international entrepôt, and takes an international approach to eating out and combining Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Thai flavors with those of Italy, France, the Mediterranean, and Mexican influences.

Extremely fresh fish and seafood from the Arabian Gulf is an evident choice, when you arrive in Qatar, because Qatar people prepare amazing foods with lobster, crab, shrimp, Tuna, kingfish and red Snapper. Meat dishes tend to be based on Lamb, because of the nomadic tribe’s influences, cooked and served with a variety of side dishes and vegetables. In Qatar cuisine American fast-food is becoming very popular.

Cuisines of Qatar
Qatar is an exceptional place to illustrate all types of Gulf and Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as Iranian and Turkish. For the reason that the workday starts in the early hours, breakfast is frequently served at about six o’clock ante meridian. It is easy, made of olives, cheese, yoghurt and coffee. But lunch is the main meal of the day. People eat after one o’clock post meridian; lunch regularly begins with appetizers, followed by fish or Lamb stew, salads, cooked vegetables, bread and fruit. Dinner is served late in the evening and is more often than not light, with the exception of Ramadan and on particular occasions.

Local plates consist of matchbous which is spiced Lamb with rice, hareis which is prepared by slow-cooked Wheat and tender Lamb and seafood eaten with seasoned rice. Qatar cuisine also contains especially desserts including a type of bread pudding called umm Ali which in traditional language means "Mother of Ali", a sugary cheesecake with a cream topping named esh asaraya, meaning "bread of the harem" and pudding prepared with rosewater and pistachios, called mehalabiya.

Muslim Qatari never eats Pork. They eat halal meat, which has been expressly prepared by the slaughter according to Muslim laws.

Qatari Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Qatari Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for Qatari Cooking
Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Qatari regions. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Qatari cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Qatari cuisine. Qatar cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes, like Iranian and Turkish combined with nomad and Indian. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Qatar is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. Meat is one of the main elements of most Qatar dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes. Qatar people prepare most of the meals with hands, because they believe in that hand gives to the food a good energy.

Special Equipment for Qatari Cooking
Many people of Qatar eat without using cutlery; in its place, they hold a piece of bread in the right hand and use it to hollow out up the food. Very common in Qatar cuisine is the smoked fish which need cooking in a special smoking stove. In Qatar cuisine are a great selection of cooking equipments from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers and portioners, food pans and food containers to other kitchen apparatus, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets and garnishes. The Qatari cuisine requests different food preparation utensils set in order to produce the most superior Qatar dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Namibian food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slickers, and kitchen thermometers, measuring cups and measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers and strainers.

Qatari Food Traditions and Festivals
For special occasions people from Qatar prepare special dishes like tabbouleh which is chopped parsley, mint and crushed Wheat, or ghuzi which is specially prepared like a whole roast Lamb served on a bed of rice with pine-nuts. Qatar most important festivals are Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitre, Islamic New Year, Anniversary of the Emir’s Succession, and Independence Day which is on third September. The habitual festivals propose a right event for universal, cultural and artistic displays which are punctuated by rich and diversified attractions and dishes. An important meal in festivals but also in the rest of the time is and shawarma which is grilled shavings of Lamb or Chicken, assorted with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arab bread.

People in Qatari Food

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In Qatar the cooking and preparing of the food is frequently done by the men. There are many chefs who creatively use the essential ingredients and cooking process for traditional Qatar dishes and make innovative and tasty food variations. Men have to systematize the daily meals according to their financial possibilities and according to the accessibility of the ingredients. Qatar chefs are passionate about their traditional dishes and they enjoy presenting them to foreigners who has never tasted them before. Whether they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, Qatar chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.