Saturday, February 28, 2009
Trasitional Omani Food
The Omani people are well known for their hospitality and offers of refreshment. To be invited into someone's home will mean coffee (kahwa), a strong, bitter drink flavoured with cardamom, and dates or halwa, a sticky sweet gelatinous substance which is made from brown sugar, eggs, honey and spices. It can be flavoured with many different ingredients, such as nuts, rosewater or even chocolate. Lokhemat is another accompaniment to coffee, which are balls of flour and yeast flavoured with cardamom and deep fried until golden then served with a sweet lime and cardamom syrup. The sweetness of this dish often counteracts the bitterness of the kahwa.
More substantial meals often have rice as the main ingredient, together with cooked meats. The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter. Maqbous is a rice dish, tinged yellow with saffron and cooked over a spicy red or white meat. Aursia is a festival meal, served during celebrations, which consists of mashed rice flavoured with spices. Another popular festival meal is shuwa, which is meat cooked very slowly (sometimes for up to two days) in an underground clay oven. The meat becomes extremely tender and it is impregnated with spices and herbs before cooking to give it a very distinct taste. Fish is often used in main dishes too, and the kingfish is a popular ingredient. Mashuai is a meal comprising whole spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice. The rukhal bread is a thin, round bread originally baked over a fire made from palm leaves. It is eaten at any meal, typically served with Omani honey for breakfast or crumbled over curry for dinner.
Traditional Omani Food
It is fairly simple, but by using various marinades and impregnating meat with spices, the result is a mouth-watering concoction which stimulates the tastebuds. Chicken, fish and mutton are regularly used in dishes. A favourite drink is laban, a salty buttermilk. Yoghurt drinks, flavoured with cardamom and pistachio nuts are also very popular.
Although spices, herbs, onion, garlic and lime are liberally used in traditional Omani cuisine, unlike similar Asian food, it is not hot. Omani cuisine is also distinct from the indigenous foods of other Gulf states and even varies within the Sultanate's different regions. The differences between some of the dishes prepared in Salalah, in the south, and those prepared in Muscat, in the north, are so market that it is difficult to find anything common between them. However, one delight that remains a symbol of Omani hospitality throughout the country are the ubiquitous dates, served with khawa, or Omani coffee. Khawa is prepared from freshly roasted ground coffee mixed with cardamom powder.Special dishes are prepared for festive occasions. The Islamic world celebrates two main religious festivals - Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Fitr is celebrated following the Holy Month of Ramadan when people complete their obligatory fasting for 30 days. Eid Al Adha is celebrated on completing the Haj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. Dishes prepared during Ramadan are very seldom cooked on other occasions.Food cooked on important occasions, such as Eid, is of an infinite variety. Omanis across the country serve an array of dishes. In Dhofar and Wusta, the festivities start with ruz al mudhroub, a dish made of cooked rice and served with fried fish, and maqdeed, special dried meat. In Muscat, Al Batinah, Dahira and Sharqiya regions, muqalab, a dish of tripe and pluck cooked with crushed or ground spices (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, back pepper, ginger, garlic and nutmeg), dominates the menu. Other dishes served during Eid festivities include arsia, a dish of lamb meat cooked with rice, and mishkak, skewered meat grilled on charcoal.Lunch on the first day of Eid is usually harees, which is made from wheat mixed with meat. Lunch on the second day is mishkak, while on the third and last day, shuwa forms the whole day's meal.However, it is during Ramadan that one can experience Omani food at its best and two of the most popular traditional dishes served at Iftar, the breaking of the fast include sakhana, a thick, sweet soup made of wheat, date, molasses and milk and fatta, a meat and vegetable dish, mixed with khubz rakhal, thin Omani bread, made out of unleavened dough.Shuwa is a typically Omani delicacy prepared only on very special occasions. Whole villages participate in the cooking of the dish which consists of a whole cow or goat roasted for up to two days in an special oven prepared in a pit dug in the ground.
The method of preparing shuwa is elaborate. The meat is marinated with red pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, garlic and vinegar and then wrapped in sacks made of dry banana or palm leaves. These sacks are then thrown into the smoldering oven, which is covered with a lid and sealed so that no smoke escapes. In some villages, the meat is cooked for 24 hours while in others it is believed that meat tastes better after 48 hours.Everyday Omani cuisine includes a wide variety of soups - vegetable, lentil, lamb and chicken. Salads are also popular and are usually based around fresh vegetables, smoked eggplant, tuna fish, dried fish or watercress. Main course dishes are extensive and range from marak, a vegetable curry, to assorted kebabs, barbecued, grilled and curried meat, chicken and fish dishes.Rice is used widely and is served in a variety of ways, from steamed to elaborate concoctions bursting with meat and vegetables. Breads rage from the plain to those flavoured with dates, sesame, thyme and garlic. For desert, Omani halwa, or sweatmeat, is a traditional favourite.
More substantial meals often have rice as the main ingredient, together with cooked meats. The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter. Maqbous is a rice dish, tinged yellow with saffron and cooked over a spicy red or white meat. Aursia is a festival meal, served during celebrations, which consists of mashed rice flavoured with spices. Another popular festival meal is shuwa, which is meat cooked very slowly (sometimes for up to two days) in an underground clay oven. The meat becomes extremely tender and it is impregnated with spices and herbs before cooking to give it a very distinct taste. Fish is often used in main dishes too, and the kingfish is a popular ingredient. Mashuai is a meal comprising whole spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice. The rukhal bread is a thin, round bread originally baked over a fire made from palm leaves. It is eaten at any meal, typically served with Omani honey for breakfast or crumbled over curry for dinner.
Traditional Omani Food
It is fairly simple, but by using various marinades and impregnating meat with spices, the result is a mouth-watering concoction which stimulates the tastebuds. Chicken, fish and mutton are regularly used in dishes. A favourite drink is laban, a salty buttermilk. Yoghurt drinks, flavoured with cardamom and pistachio nuts are also very popular.
Although spices, herbs, onion, garlic and lime are liberally used in traditional Omani cuisine, unlike similar Asian food, it is not hot. Omani cuisine is also distinct from the indigenous foods of other Gulf states and even varies within the Sultanate's different regions. The differences between some of the dishes prepared in Salalah, in the south, and those prepared in Muscat, in the north, are so market that it is difficult to find anything common between them. However, one delight that remains a symbol of Omani hospitality throughout the country are the ubiquitous dates, served with khawa, or Omani coffee. Khawa is prepared from freshly roasted ground coffee mixed with cardamom powder.Special dishes are prepared for festive occasions. The Islamic world celebrates two main religious festivals - Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Fitr is celebrated following the Holy Month of Ramadan when people complete their obligatory fasting for 30 days. Eid Al Adha is celebrated on completing the Haj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. Dishes prepared during Ramadan are very seldom cooked on other occasions.Food cooked on important occasions, such as Eid, is of an infinite variety. Omanis across the country serve an array of dishes. In Dhofar and Wusta, the festivities start with ruz al mudhroub, a dish made of cooked rice and served with fried fish, and maqdeed, special dried meat. In Muscat, Al Batinah, Dahira and Sharqiya regions, muqalab, a dish of tripe and pluck cooked with crushed or ground spices (cinnamon, cardamom, clove, back pepper, ginger, garlic and nutmeg), dominates the menu. Other dishes served during Eid festivities include arsia, a dish of lamb meat cooked with rice, and mishkak, skewered meat grilled on charcoal.Lunch on the first day of Eid is usually harees, which is made from wheat mixed with meat. Lunch on the second day is mishkak, while on the third and last day, shuwa forms the whole day's meal.However, it is during Ramadan that one can experience Omani food at its best and two of the most popular traditional dishes served at Iftar, the breaking of the fast include sakhana, a thick, sweet soup made of wheat, date, molasses and milk and fatta, a meat and vegetable dish, mixed with khubz rakhal, thin Omani bread, made out of unleavened dough.Shuwa is a typically Omani delicacy prepared only on very special occasions. Whole villages participate in the cooking of the dish which consists of a whole cow or goat roasted for up to two days in an special oven prepared in a pit dug in the ground.
The method of preparing shuwa is elaborate. The meat is marinated with red pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, garlic and vinegar and then wrapped in sacks made of dry banana or palm leaves. These sacks are then thrown into the smoldering oven, which is covered with a lid and sealed so that no smoke escapes. In some villages, the meat is cooked for 24 hours while in others it is believed that meat tastes better after 48 hours.Everyday Omani cuisine includes a wide variety of soups - vegetable, lentil, lamb and chicken. Salads are also popular and are usually based around fresh vegetables, smoked eggplant, tuna fish, dried fish or watercress. Main course dishes are extensive and range from marak, a vegetable curry, to assorted kebabs, barbecued, grilled and curried meat, chicken and fish dishes.Rice is used widely and is served in a variety of ways, from steamed to elaborate concoctions bursting with meat and vegetables. Breads rage from the plain to those flavoured with dates, sesame, thyme and garlic. For desert, Omani halwa, or sweatmeat, is a traditional favourite.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Culture
Oman's culture is based on the fundamental principles of Islam. Muslims are required to pray five times each day after the call to prayer by the Imam. Beautiful, ornate mosques are found throughout the Sultanate, but they are not open to non-Muslim visitors. The holy month of Ramadhan is a time of fasting . Muslims are not allowed to smoke, eat or drink during daylight hours. Out of respect, non-Muslims staying in Oman observe the same principles in public. At sunset, the fast is broken with the Ifta feast, traditionally a light meal of dates and rice, which the whole family attends.
The dress code is fairly liberal in Muscat, although decency is still expected. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts or trousers. Men are required to wear trousers and shirts with sleeves. Swimwear should be restricted to the beach or pools. Outside the capital area and into the Interior villages, dress should become more conservative.
Regarding other religions, Oman is very tolerant and there are a number of churches and temples for worshippers of other faiths. Friday is the holy day of rest.
The dress code is fairly liberal in Muscat, although decency is still expected. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts or trousers. Men are required to wear trousers and shirts with sleeves. Swimwear should be restricted to the beach or pools. Outside the capital area and into the Interior villages, dress should become more conservative.
Regarding other religions, Oman is very tolerant and there are a number of churches and temples for worshippers of other faiths. Friday is the holy day of rest.
Nizwa City
The oasis city of Nizwa, the largest in the interior province, was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries. Today it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions with its historical buildings and imposing fort built in the mid 17th century by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'ribi, The town's immense palm oasis stretches for eight kilometers along the course of two wadis. It is famous for its bustling souq where tourists can buy exquisite copper and silver jewellery and other craft items.
Nizwa is located in the heart of Oman about 165 km from Muscat the capital city. Driving is about an hour and a half, the road pass through many Wilayats like Bidbid, Samail, and Izki. The interior climate is cold in the winter from November until March. So many things attract Nizwa visitor ranging from ancient civilization remarks to modern entertainment facilities. Water falls of Tanuf are inspiring and the magnificent Nizwa Fort is a wonder on its own. Paved roads and facilities will take you smoothly to every single village in Nizwa. Many Taxis or local bus transportation services are also available for those who can not drive. Tours also organized by many tour operators. Nizwa Hotel and Falaj Daris hotel are affordable places for relaxation and enjoyment.
Nizwa old and new souqs (markets) provide the visitor with all his or her needs with many choices to select from, whether you are seeking an old Omani khanjar or a slice of pizza. The Rocky Mountains "Jebal alHajar" are Nizwa background, from there you get to visit Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar and Al-Misfat (>3000m above sea level), Oman most spectacular areas. Up in the mountains, calm summers provide the visitor with a unique fresh air surrounded by breathtaking stones, natural architecture and temperate-zone trees and shrubs. Besides, there are the palm oasis on Wadi (valley) Kalbouh and Al Abiadh from Birkat Almouz to Tanuf, just something you will always feel in need to visit again and again. Falaj Daris is the life maintainer of Nizwa gardens and the water supplier for all domestic purposes. Parks equiped with childern playgrounds are many in the town and outside for all levels and ages. People of Nizwa are friendly, just like all Omanis, they will guide you happily and show you everything that you feel you want to see. Take my word, It is an experience that you will never find anywhere else.
WHERE TO GO FROM NIZWA:
You may consider Tanuf. Waterfalls in Tanuf are unique to the area within the steep mountain sides and the water reservoir, you may want to spend a picnic day. All facilities are available and I am sure you will enjoy it there. From there you can go to Al-Hamra. Wilayat Al-Hamra is another tourist attractive town that you do not want to miss when you visit the interior. Towers and ancient forts are scattered in every village and farms all around with a countryside life style. Two major locations are of great interest to all Al-Hamra visitors, these are Al-Mesfah and Jabal Shams. You need a 4-Wheel drive to climb 3000m above sea level for a different type of climate and a totally new and non-spoiled regions. Al-Hamra old market worth the visit plus other parks and tourist attractions. You may also want to head to the villages of Al-Qala'a, Al-Qaryah or Al-Aredh. All neat locations that observe the Omani traditions. From Nizwa you can go to Bahla where Oman ancient potry is still alive.
You may never have a chance to meet agriculture and settled traditional type of society as the one you will experience in the Interior of Oman. Words are just not enough to describe everything, it is something you must see to believe in
0
Nizwa is located in the heart of Oman about 165 km from Muscat the capital city. Driving is about an hour and a half, the road pass through many Wilayats like Bidbid, Samail, and Izki. The interior climate is cold in the winter from November until March. So many things attract Nizwa visitor ranging from ancient civilization remarks to modern entertainment facilities. Water falls of Tanuf are inspiring and the magnificent Nizwa Fort is a wonder on its own. Paved roads and facilities will take you smoothly to every single village in Nizwa. Many Taxis or local bus transportation services are also available for those who can not drive. Tours also organized by many tour operators. Nizwa Hotel and Falaj Daris hotel are affordable places for relaxation and enjoyment.
Nizwa old and new souqs (markets) provide the visitor with all his or her needs with many choices to select from, whether you are seeking an old Omani khanjar or a slice of pizza. The Rocky Mountains "Jebal alHajar" are Nizwa background, from there you get to visit Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar and Al-Misfat (>3000m above sea level), Oman most spectacular areas. Up in the mountains, calm summers provide the visitor with a unique fresh air surrounded by breathtaking stones, natural architecture and temperate-zone trees and shrubs. Besides, there are the palm oasis on Wadi (valley) Kalbouh and Al Abiadh from Birkat Almouz to Tanuf, just something you will always feel in need to visit again and again. Falaj Daris is the life maintainer of Nizwa gardens and the water supplier for all domestic purposes. Parks equiped with childern playgrounds are many in the town and outside for all levels and ages. People of Nizwa are friendly, just like all Omanis, they will guide you happily and show you everything that you feel you want to see. Take my word, It is an experience that you will never find anywhere else.
WHERE TO GO FROM NIZWA:
You may consider Tanuf. Waterfalls in Tanuf are unique to the area within the steep mountain sides and the water reservoir, you may want to spend a picnic day. All facilities are available and I am sure you will enjoy it there. From there you can go to Al-Hamra. Wilayat Al-Hamra is another tourist attractive town that you do not want to miss when you visit the interior. Towers and ancient forts are scattered in every village and farms all around with a countryside life style. Two major locations are of great interest to all Al-Hamra visitors, these are Al-Mesfah and Jabal Shams. You need a 4-Wheel drive to climb 3000m above sea level for a different type of climate and a totally new and non-spoiled regions. Al-Hamra old market worth the visit plus other parks and tourist attractions. You may also want to head to the villages of Al-Qala'a, Al-Qaryah or Al-Aredh. All neat locations that observe the Omani traditions. From Nizwa you can go to Bahla where Oman ancient potry is still alive.
You may never have a chance to meet agriculture and settled traditional type of society as the one you will experience in the Interior of Oman. Words are just not enough to describe everything, it is something you must see to believe in
0
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
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