National cuisine of Yemen for gourmets. Authentic recipes, delicacies and specialties

Yemeni cuisine attracts even experienced gourmets with its inimitable flavors, wild colors, and authenticity of genuine local dishes cooked by chefs who are experts in traditional delicacies. The list of the most typical ingredients can be different in different provinces. For example, seafood is popular in coastal areas, and people in the northern parts of the country eat more meat. Yemenis like tea and coffee, but their preferences can be different depending on a region. For example, people in Sana’a drink more coffee while residents of Aden prefer tea. Drinking coffee without sugar is a typical national tradition that is widespread in the country. Almost every province has its own specialty. Yemenis are also proud of their bread.

Saluf is the most typical flatbread in the country. It is cooked in a clay oven. Locals use a flat frying pan to cook another popular flatbread type – Tawa. By the way, the frying pan has the same name. Lahoh is a thin flatbread that has become very popular in the Arabian Peninsula countries. There are several dozen types of bread in Yemen. Each of them differs not only in taste but also in the way it is consumed. Local people eat certain types of bread only with selected products and on certain dates. There are also special national dishes that are widespread in all regions of the country. Saltah is one of them. As a rule, Saltah is cooked mostly in regions that are located away from the sea. There are even restaurants that specialize in cooking Saltah, and there are always visitors in these restaurants. Locals believe that these restaurants can cook this dish better than anyone else. There are several chefs, and each of them makes only one part of the dish. There are four main parts in total. The taste is different in different restaurants because there is no universal recipe of Saltah.

First of all, it is important to make a vegetable broth. It includes onion, garlic, oil, tomato paste, boiling water, and Hawaij – a special blend of spices for this soup. Hawaij can contain a different number of ingredients. Five to six spices in the minimal number, but there are variations of Hawaij with 21 ingredients. Next, the broth is used to boil potato, zucchini, and okra. Now it is time to cook meat. Saltah can contain chicken, but beef is the most popular choice. Hulbah is cooked last. Hulbah is a spicy sauce that requires at least one hour of cooking. This is the minimal time that Hulbah powder must be soaked in water in order to remove bitterness. The sauce contains green sweet pepper that adds a greenish color to the liquid. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

When all main parts of Saltah are ready, it is time to mix then to finish the dish. For this purpose, local chefs use Magla – a traditional Yemeni stone or clay pot. First, Magla is heated on an open fire and then meat, broth, vegetables, and sauce are put into it. European tourists may find it unusual that there are no utensils for Saltah - no spoons, forks, and even chopsticks. Local restaurants serve only a pot with the dish inside. The traditional way of eating Saltah is the following: tear a piece of flatbread and use it as a spoon. As Magla is made from materials with good insulation, food never burns in it and remains warm for a long time. All families in Yemen have these pots, and local restaurants that sell takeaway Saltah charge security for Magla. They return the money upon returning the pot back to the restaurant. If you want to purchase an authentic souvenir from Yemen, Magla is a great choice.

Aseedah (or Asida) is one of the main dishes that local families eat on a regular basis. Aseedah is a typical choice for lunch or dinner. It is made up of cooked wheat flour dough and hot water. The ready dough is put in a wooden pot and then a hole is made in the center. This hole is then filled with different ingredients. These can be tomato paste with chili pepper, garlic, and parsley. The filling can also be sweet if chili pepper is replaced with honey. Some traditional dishes of Yemeni cuisine, such as Asida and Haneeth, have become popular in the neighbor Arabian countries. Haneeth contains lamb meat, basmati rice, and spices. This dish has a peculiar taste thanks to the incredibly tender meat. To make it taste like this, the meat is cooked in the tandoor oven on intensive fire. The oven is closed, so the absence of fresh air makes the meat juicy and soft. Haneeth is a festive dish that is always present at weddings and various celebrations.

Tourists usually praise restaurants in the capital of Yemen, Sana’a. Alshaybani is a popular restaurant that offers a broad range of meat and fish dishes, appetizers, and desserts. Food is always delicious and fresh in Alshaybani. Socotra Island, a popular destination in Yemen, is also a great destination for everyone interested in authentic Yemeni cuisine. However, tourists who then visit a restaurant in the capital gladly mention the presence of utensils. Unprepared tourists usually start missing spoons and forks very fast. Finally, it is impossible to visit Yemen and fail to try delicious Yemeni honey produced in the country. Local honey is a delicacy that is popular and widely sought after. It is a true pride of provinces and the country in general. Needless to say, local honey is a wonderful souvenir that tourists can take back home.