Download Gastronomy in Saudi Arabia

Cultural Corner: Saudi Arabia
Identity card of Saudi Arabia
Surface Area: 829 999.95 mil
2
(2 149 690 km²)
Population: over 28, 83 million inhabitants (estimation 2013)
Capital: Riyadh
Language: Arabic, but English is commonly used in the business world
Religion: Sunni Islam
Chief of State: King Salmane ben Abdelaziz Al Saoud (since January 23, 2015),
also Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the head of the House of Saud and
prime minister of Saudi Arabia.
Currency: Saudi Riyal (SAR)
National Day: Represents the unification of the Kingdom in 1932 every
September 23
Designated UNESCO World Heritage Site s:



Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih) (2008)
At-Turaif District in ad -Dir'iyah (2010)
Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (2014)
Geography
Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabic peninsula. It is bordered by
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, and
also the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Several cities are rich in history and
heritage such as Al Kh ubar, Medina, Mecca, Riyadh and Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia occupies 80% of the Arabic peninsula territory. It is a
mountainous country and also is in its great majority deserted. The length of
the coast spreads out 2 640 km.
Economy:
Saudi Arabia is the first economic power of the Middle -East and the
richest Arabic country. The economy of Saudi Arabia is entirely based on oil.
Thanks to the foreign direct investments and the solidity of t he banking and
financial system, the country became the first regional economy, and also
one of the main economies of the world.
For 2015, the country adopted a new budget pr ioritizing the fields of
health, education, social services and security. The length of life is one of
the highest in the region with a GDP per inhabitant of more than $20.000. In
spite of that, the country is marked by a rate of unemployment of 12%
especially among young people.
The main fields of economy are the industry (60%) and services
(38%). The industrial field is dominated by t he non-manufactured activities
like the extraction of oil. The country owns the most important oil reserves
in the world. It is also the lar gest producer and exporter of oil in the world.
The part of the industrial sector (apart from oil) is growing thanks to
investments of the Saudi state in order to diversify the economy.
Then, services represent about 38% of the GDP and concern a great
majority of the population. The field is especially dominated by tourism,
financial and banking ser vices, and insurance. Tourism creates very
important incomes (about 4 million tourists a year), exclusive ly thanks to
the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Finally, agriculture represents about 2% of the GDP and employs more
than 4,5% of the active population . It is not a very productive field despite
all the investments made by the state. Despite its geographical and climatic
restrictions (dryness), Saudi Arabia imports the major part of its needs in
agricultural products . The lack of water is also a big issue in the region that
the country will have to face during the next years since the wheat culture
threatens to run out the water reserves.
Gastronomy in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, pork and alcohol are prohibited. Only « halal » food,
certified by the Islamic law can be legally consumed. It means that
everything the Saudi people have to through the Islamic food norms.
The origin of the Saudi cuisine dates back to the culinary traditions of the
peoples of the desert, the Bedouins. If the chicken, rice and dates are staple
foods, fatir (Arab bread), yogurt and beans are also an integral part of the
diet of the inhabitants of the kingdom. Lamb, meanwhile, is consumed on
special occasions
Follow, you will find meals and ingredients that are the most popular in
Saudi Arabia :
The Kebsa is considered the
national dish in Saudi
Arabia. The dish consists in
basmati rice, raisins, dates,
almonds and a blend of
spices that includes onions,
cardamom, cinnamon, and
garlic. The chicken is the
main ingredient of the
Kabsa. Instead of grilling it
to the flame, the Saudis
prefer cooking it in the oven while the chicken broth is poured into the pot
where the rice is boiled.
Eating dates is a very ancient
Bedouin tradition. These fruits,
which symbolize the courage and
bravery of the Arab people , are
picked on the date palms that grow
in the desert. Dates are used in
many recipes : dried and sweet fruits
can be eaten raw as is. They can
also be stuffed with walnuts and
almonds or they can be brushed
with syrup to be consumed at breakfast or at snack time. Dates may yet be
pressed and processed into juice. The sparkling drink that is then obtained is
mostly served at major events; it is actually more or less the equivalent of
champagne.
The khoubz or khubz is Arabic bread
that is found throughout the Middle
East region. The taste and the
texture of these small flatbreads are
quite similar to those of the pita ,
unlike the khoubz is slightly larger
and softer than the pita . As khubz is
unleavened bread, baked without
yeast or baking soda in a special
stone oven , it keeps incredibly long.
It is therefore ideal for families of nomads who continually travel through the
arid expanses of the vast kingdom. The bread can be dipped in spicy mixtures
or filled with meat and vegetables , and is also a very good substitute for rice.
The kleeja are very popular
pastries in the Arabic world.
Although they are from Iraq,
those
biscuits
would
have
traveled in the trailers to Saudi
Arabia where the recipe would
have
been
handed
to
a
mysterious baker from the
region of Nedj in the center of
the kingdom. Today the kleeja
are considered as regional specialties. They are made with wheat flour ,
butter and a big quantity of milled cardamom. They are baked in the oven
until they are glazed. Then, they can be served with a strong coffee. They
can also be served as a very nutritive snack for kids.
In Saudi Arabia, the falafels are
mostly considered as street
snacks. These kinds of donuts
are made with beans (basic
condiments
in
the
Saudi
kingdom) that are ground and
mixed with other ingredients
such as green onions, parsley
and garlic. Finally, there are
spiced with cumin and coriander
to multiply their flavor. The falafel sandwiches are often served, - wrapped
in pita or khoubz type of bread - with tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. The
sandwich is usually decorated with tahini, a sesame cream.
Saudi Arabian Recipe - Kabsa
Ingredients :
Kabsa Spice Mi x:
1/2 teas poon ground cinnamon
1/2 teas poon ground allspice
1/4 teas poon ground white pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8
pieces
1/2 cup tomato puree
3 carrots, peeled and grated
2 whole cloves
1 pinch ground cumi n
1 pinch ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste
2 1/4 cups hot water
1 cube chicken bouillon
2 1/4 cups Basmati ri ce
1/4 cup toasted almonds
Directions:
Mix together the cinnamon, allspice, whi te pepper i n a small bowl, and set the
spice mix aside.
Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the
garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and brown them over
medium-high heat until li ghtly browned, about 10 minutes. Mix in the tomato
puree.
Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juice, the grated carrots, whole cloves,
cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and the Kabsa spice mix. Cook for about 3
minutes; pour in the water, and add the chicken bouillon cube.
Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduc e the heat to simmer and cover the pot.
Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.
Gently stir in the ric e. Cover th e pot and simmer until rice is tender and almost
dry, about 25 minutes; add the raisins and a little more hot water, if necessary.
Cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice grains are
separate.
Transfer the rice to a large servi ng platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top.
Sprinkle the toasted slivered almonds over the dish.
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