Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Oman, in accordance with
Sharia, the Islamic law.
Characteristics
Although Omani cuisine varies within different regions of
Oman, most dishes across the country have a staple of
curry, cooked
meat,
rice, and
vegetables. Soups are also common and are usually made from
chicken,
lamb, and
vegetables (e.g. smoked
eggplant). The main meal is usually eaten in the middle of the day, while dinner is lighter.
Dishes
Harees is
wheat mixed with meat or chicken cooked until it forms a thick paste eaten with the fingers or a spoon and served with ghee.
Qabuli is rice mixed with camel meat or chicken cooked until the meat or chicken and rice is well to be eaten and then at the end some ghee. Eaten by hand. The Qabuli is an Omani dish that originates from the governorate of
Dhofar.
Kahwa is an Omani
coffee mixed with
cardamom powder, often served as a symbol of hospitality. It is often served with
dates and Omani
halwa.[3]
Kebab is a dish of spiced and salted skewered meat (usually
chicken or
beef) barbecued or grilled, served with a side of
vegetables.
Mashuai is a dish consisting of a whole spit-roasted
kingfish, served with a side of
lemon rice.
Machboos is a rice dish sometimes flavored with
saffron and cooked in the same water that the chicken or meat was cooked in.
Shuwaa is a meal eaten only on festive occasions. The dish consists of chunks of goat, sheep, cow, or camel meat marinated in a spicy date paste and roasted in a special oven, which is a pit dug in the ground. This is usually a communal activity by an entire village. The meat is flavoured with a variety of
spices, then wrapped in sacks made of dry leaves, which are in turn placed into the oven.