Ges-r.Com – After focusing on performing Umrah, there is nothing wrong with you for friends to explore culinary tours there. It’s a shame if you miss the pleasure of Middle Eastern food rich in spices and delicious aromas.
Especially in the Mecca and Medina areas, you will find a wide variety of mouth-watering Saudi Arabian specialties, including Middle Eastern food. So, in your spare time while carrying out Umrah, you can enjoy the delights of Middle Eastern food that may be rarely encountered when returning to Indonesia. What are some Middle Eastern foods to taste? Check out the recommendations below, yup!
Shawarma or kebab
Who doesn’t know about this Middle Eastern food? Its popularity is already global, even many people from other countries love kebabs because of their good taste.
Maybe you often see different types of kebabs in Indonesia, but the taste of real kebab or shawarma must be different, right? So, there is no harm in trying kebabs when you are umrah or visiting Arab countries.
Nasi bukhari
When viewed from its appearance, Bukhari rice is almost similar to kebuli and biryani rice, but different. Bukhari rice is a Middle Eastern food that is quite famous in the Arab region. Usually nasi bukhari is served with grilled chicken and sour and spicy tomato sauce. Not to forget, plus pieces of cucumber and fresh lettuce as a complement.
Samosa
If we take a quick look, this Middle Eastern food looks like fried pastel stuffed meat, huh, friend? It turns out that in Saudi Arabia and other Eastern countries it is called samosa. A Samosa is a snack or snack filled with beef, mutton, chicken, vegetables, eggs, or cheese. It is usually served as an appetizer when breaking the fast. Just like a pastel cake, right?
Nasi biryani
The next Middle Eastern food is biryani rice that comes from Persia. A distinctive feature of this rice is the larger and longer grain size of the rice, as well as its more yellowish color. In addition to being rich in Middle Eastern spices, Biryani Rice also uses additional yogurt in its processing. Unique, huh?
Nasi kebuli
Like brother and sister, it turns out that kebuli Rice is also not much different from other Middle Eastern foods made from rice, such as Bukhari rice, biryani rice, mandhi, and so on. Different that lies in the side dish used, kebuli rice is equipped with processed mutton with typical spices.
Paratha Bread
This Middle Eastern food is often said to be similar to Maryam’s bread, although the two are very different, you know, friends. If ordinary roti canai is fried using more oil, while paratha bread does not need oil to fry it. The texture of paratha bread is also thinner and crispy, it can be served sweet or salty depending on taste.
Falafel
If we look at the shape, this falafel looks like a fried ball, huh, buddy? This Middle Eastern food is indeed fried balls or fried balls made from dough from peanuts or fava beans, as well as spices typical of Eastern countries. Falafel is a Middle Eastern food that can be eaten directly or served with whole grain bread (pita) and various types of fresh vegetables.
Haleem
Well, if this Middle Eastern food is identical to being served during the fasting month or Ramadan, you know. Haleem is a porridge-like dish made from wheat, lentils and meat. In addition to being liked by some people in the Middle East, haleem is also a favorite of the people of Hyderabad, India. Dare to try?
Mutabbaq
A Middle Eastern food not to be missed is mutabbaq. If in Indonesia, we can call this food as martabak telor nih, buddy. The difference is, in the middle of the mutabbaq contains eggs, ricotta cheese, and pieces of goat, so when friends bite or cut, mutabbaq tends to be more creamy and savory.
Nasi mandhi
The name is funny, so what about it? Eits, it turns out that mandhi Rice is one of the Middle Eastern foods that are a favorite of many people. At first glance it looks like biryani rice, but the spice taste in mandhi rice is not so pronounced. To make it even more delicious, this Middle Eastern meal is served along with a sprinkling of raisins and fried or grilled chicken.
Tabbouleh
Unlike the previous Middle Eastern food, it turns out that tabouleh is a typical Middle Eastern culinary dominated by fresh vegetables. Tabbouleh is a typical Arabic vegetarian dish that is usually made from chopped tomatoes, parsley leaves, mint leaves, chives and bulgur (a cereal derived from whole grains). To make it more delicious, tabbouleh is usually mixed with olive oil.
Manakeesh
Friends must be familiar with typical Italian pizza, right? It turns out that in the Middle East there is also a food similar to pizza you know, namely manakeesh. However, this Middle Eastern food has a different topping from pizza in general, namely white cheese with a salty taste or ackawi type cheese combined with minced meat, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and hot chili sauce.
Hummus
Want to try other Middle Eastern foods that are no less healthy? Maybe you should try hummus. Hummus is a chickpea-based food that is combined with other ingredients, such as lentini, tahini, olive oil, salt, lemon water and garlic. All the ingredients are mashed, the texture is like porridge, but a little coarser.
Katayef
Another Middle Eastern food you can try is katayef. This food is similar to pancakes with the addition of various fillings, ranging from sweet to salty. Usually this Middle Eastern food is sold during the fasting month as an appetizing takhil.
Among the 14 Middle Eastern foods above, what dishes would you like to try during umrah? Although the taste is not the same as the taste of food in Indonesia, but it does not hurt you know your friends try the dish.
