Emirati cuisine — Bedouin-Persian-Indian. Meat, rice, spices. Influences from silk traders. Nuts and dates essential.
Machbous
Machbous — national dish (Emirati-Bahraini-Omani). Basmati rice with meat/chicken/fish + spices (loomi, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron). Cooked in one pot.
Harees
Harees — wheat mashed with meat. Cooked for hours. Eid al-Fitr and occasions. Simple composition but delicious.
Luqaimat
Luqaimat — fried dough balls drenched in date syrup or honey. Popular Ramadan sweet.
Dates and Coffee
Dates — symbol of UAE. Thousands of varieties, khalas, medjool, rutab. Arabic coffee (gahwa) with cardamom served with dates for hospitality.
Meat
Camel in desert (meat and milk). Arabic bezeera (hot spices), Emirati grilling, kofta, roasted lamb.
Bread
Emirati bread thin and sweet, with dates called date bread. Regag bread very thin, lahuh fresh.
Seafood
Persian Gulf coast = fresh fish. Zubaidi, hamour, kingfish. Fish on charcoal with rice and spices. Kasturik Emirati.