Chapter 1: Yemen

 Yemen is a country that most people do not know (only those who investigate and stay informed) but those who know something about this country associate it with the current civil war it suffers, however today I am not to talk about it, we will talk about its food.

First of all I chose this country to talk about its food because I had a close experience with a person from there and that is what led me to investigate the way Yemenis eat.

The gastronomy of Yemen is broader than the well-known gastronomy of the Middle East, although it depends on regional variation since in certain regions some Ottoman influences are involved such as from India Mughlai, although the bases of the gastronomy are the same.

First of all in gastronomic customs the offer of food to guests is one of them and the rejection of food is an insult, in addition to the eaten they usually sit on the floor and unlike most countries in the Middle East the main meal is lunch and not dinner.

Mostly in Yemen they have a tandoor in their kitchens, which is like a round clay oven where they prepare their food.

In fruits and vegetables the use of tomatoes, onions and potatoes is preferred.

As for meats, chicken, goat or lamb meat is preferred, although beef and fish are mostly consumed in coastal areas, although in dairy products are not of greater preference than whey.

                                                             Breakfast

Normally breakfast consists of some hot dish, often consists of some kind of cakes with a cup of coffee or Yemeni tea, (it must be said from own experience that their cakes are extremely sweet since their teas are made with many spices that give it a bitter taste)

A more hearty meal would include legumes, eggs, even roast beef or kebab, which is usually served with a separate type of bread or as a sandwich.

Common breakfast dishes include: fattah, fatoot, ful medames, mutabbaq and shakshouka.

Made from chickpeas or beans that have been ground, ball-shaped and fried or baked. Other falafel ingredients include herbs and spices such as cumin, coriander, and garlic.

                                                     



A mutabbaq is a type of flat plan that is usually filled with different types of filling, it can be meat, vegetables, eggs, onions, etc.

Shakshouka made from poached eggs in tomato sauce, peppers and onions, commonly seasoned with cumin, paprika and harissa

LUNCH

The greatest amount of meat, poultry and grains are consumed during lunch. Common dishes include: aseed, fahsa, fattah, haneeth, harees, jachnun, kabsa, komroh, mandi, Samak Mofa, shafut, Shawiyah, thareed and Zurbiyan.

Saltah: The base is a brown meat stew called maraq, a tablespoon of fenugreek foam and sahawiq or sahowqa (a mixture of chilies, tomatoes, garlic and ground herbs in a sauce). Rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, and vegetables are common additions. The meats used in the preparation of this dish are typically lamb or chicken.2 It is traditionally eaten with Yemeni flatbread, which serves as a utensil to pick up food.

Aqdah: is a stew made by tying and mixing all the ingredients. There are many types of ogda, and it can be made with small pieces of lamb, chicken or fish that are mixed and cooked together with vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini, etc.

Yemeni bread accompanies most meals, and consists of a flatbread without yeast, although its ingredients may vary since different types of seeds are included, they are usually cooked in the tandoor

Desserts and sweets

Bint Al-Sahn (abayah) is a sweet honey cake or bread from Yemeni cuisine.  It is prepared from a dough with white flour, eggs and yeast, which is then served immersed in a mixture of honey and butter.

Other common desserts include: fresh fruit (mangoes, bananas, grapes, etc.), baklava, zalābiya, halwa, rawani and masoob, a banana-based dessert made from overripe bananas, ground bread, cream, cheese, dates and honey.

In Yemen, honey is produced within the country and is considered a delicacy. Locally produced one is in high demand, and is also considered as a status symbol in the country.

Drinks

Some examples of teas consumed in Yemen are: Shahi Haleeb (milk tea, black tea (with cardamom, cloves or mint), qishr (coffee peels), Qahwa (coffee), Karkade (an infusion of dried hibiscus flowers), Naqe'e Al Zabib (cold drink with raisins) and diba'a (pumpkin nectar) Mango and guava juices are also popular.

Alcoholic beverages are not consumed for religious reasons but are commercially available.

With this we conclude this post, learning about the different foods of the world, Chapter 1: Yemen