How did Qatari dishes become local, and how have they evolved through trade with other nations? Euronews went to the Zekreet Peninsula in western Qatar to find out
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:01 We have turmeric, for example, and we have cumin.
00:05 They have been brought from India.
00:07 Rosewater is from Iran.
00:09 So kind of like importing from many different countries
00:12 and then combining them in their own way
00:14 to make fantastic and delicious dishes like these.
00:18 (upbeat music)
00:21 Hello, welcome to Cut the 365 with me, Adil Halim.
00:26 On this episode, we take a look at some of the elements
00:28 that go into making Qatari cuisine.
00:31 A famous chef once said, "A recipe has no soul.
00:35 "You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe."
00:38 And that's something that all cultures do
00:40 when they bring ingredients together.
00:42 Go to any country in the world and they'll feed you food
00:45 that gives you a taste of their life and their culture.
00:48 Here in Qatar, it's no different,
00:50 but how do dishes become local
00:52 and how do they develop through trade with other nations?
00:55 Charlotte Dubinsky came here to the Zakrit Peninsula
00:58 to find out.
00:59 Back in the days when they used to grind the coffee,
01:05 they used to use metal equipment.
01:07 (metal clinking)
01:09 And then with a beautiful sound,
01:10 so all the neighbors will know that this coffee is ready.
01:14 In the heat of the desert,
01:15 a sip of Arabic coffee is always welcome.
01:18 And it's also a sign of hospitality here in Qatar.
01:22 Now this coffee though is unlike anything
01:25 you've probably ever come across before.
01:28 It's yellow in color, almost like a pale straw,
01:30 and it has this creamy, delicate, light texture
01:35 that's just got this hint of spice.
01:39 And it's been expertly prepared by my guest Khaled Al-Rais.
01:43 So coffee's not from Qatar.
01:45 What makes this then uniquely Qatari?
01:48 So coffee from this region came from Yemen.
01:51 It's yellow in color because they roast it very lightly.
01:54 And then the main flavors comes from the spices that we add.
01:58 You'll notice the hints of coffee.
02:00 Then there's the cardamom,
02:01 and then there's the spices that gives it the richness,
02:04 and then the caffeine and the flavor as well.
02:07 Arabic coffee is a great place to start.
02:12 Back in Doha though, I have the chance to experience
02:14 a whole range of local foods on offer.
02:18 Randa Shake is my guide.
02:20 Wow, this looks like an incredible spread.
02:23 Could you just talk me through some of the dishes
02:26 that we have here?
02:27 Sure, so this is machboos.
02:29 This is saloona.
02:31 This is madruba, and this is haris.
02:34 Haris actually is one of the most Qatari dishes
02:36 that takes time to make.
02:37 It takes about four hours.
02:39 It's boiled, it's actually haris seeds boiled,
02:42 either with chicken or with meat.
02:44 It's kind of similar to madruba in a way where you,
02:47 basically with a wooden spoon,
02:49 it's beaten and beaten and beaten
02:51 until it becomes this kind of soft puree.
02:54 And these are all traditionally Qatari dishes?
02:57 Yes, there are many more,
02:59 but these are four of the many traditional dishes of Qatar.
03:03 Now, each of these dishes has been influenced
03:06 by ingredients that have been brought from other countries.
03:10 Can you talk me through the nuances of what we have here
03:14 and where the influences have come from?
03:16 Because Qatar was a desert, it was not self-sufficient.
03:19 It was not able to rely on itself
03:21 and had to import different products from abroad.
03:25 So we have the spices that are common,
03:28 like turmeric, for example, and we have cumin.
03:31 They have been brought from India.
03:33 You also have rosewater.
03:35 Rosewater is from Iran.
03:37 So kind of like importing from many different countries,
03:40 and also the raw materials as well,
03:42 like rice, bread, chicken, meat,
03:46 and then combining them in their own way
03:49 to make fantastic and delicious dishes like these.
03:53 Back out in the desert, it's time for dessert.
03:57 Over a hot fire, Khalid has prepared balalit,
04:00 a dish made from noodles brought to Qatar from Asia.
04:04 The local twist has been to add sugar
04:06 and, to top it off, scrambled eggs.
04:10 Oh, the smell is so good.
04:12 Just a bit crunchy, comparing to the raw ones.
04:15 And there's no better way to cap the day off
04:18 than another sip of that fragrantly delicious
04:22 Arabic coffee.
04:23 Aromas and flavors that are common
04:29 in Qatari households and restaurants
04:30 have helped shape the nation's identity.
04:32 But how did they get here?
04:34 Laila Humaira takes a look at Qatar's ancient spice trade
04:37 and the fusion of international influences.
04:40 Over the centuries, Qatar's traditional foods
04:48 have been elevated by products from across the world.
04:52 Spices like ginger, star anise, and black pepper
04:55 sailed over the seas from the Indian subcontinent.
04:59 Garlic and cumin crossed the desert from the Levant,
05:02 while lumi, a dried lime, traveled up from Oman.
05:06 And while these items have become staple ingredients
05:09 in Qatari cuisine, there's still a big appetite
05:12 to continue looking over the borders
05:14 to bring in more varieties of spices and food.
05:18 The Qatar Summer Trade Fair is one way of doing that.
05:22 Every year, hundreds of vendors gather
05:24 from all over the world to display and sell products
05:28 from their home countries, including vibrant spices,
05:31 international food, and even food, jewelry, and handicrafts.
05:36 Held over two weeks, the trade fair gives both locals
05:40 and residents of Qatar a chance to try
05:42 many international delicacies and hopefully bring them home.
05:46 Younis Galab is a master spice mixer from Yemen.
05:50 He's been coming to the Qatar Summer Trade Fair
05:52 for more than a decade, and every year,
05:55 he's proud to bring the best products from Yemen,
05:58 including what's been called liquid gold.
06:01 - We always bring Yemeni honey, the number one of its kind,
06:06 cedar honey, and brown honey.
06:08 We have special spices, which are distinguished
06:11 in mixtures like matchbows.
06:13 We also make mixtures for white rice.
06:16 - A few stalls away, Siham is encouraging people
06:19 to taste a sample of her products.
06:22 The 78-year-old is a nutritionist by profession
06:25 with a passion for making all sorts of organic food,
06:28 from cheese to olive oil to bread,
06:31 all produced at her rural farm in northern Lebanon.
06:34 - For an item to be organic and fresh,
06:39 the first thing is that it should be
06:40 in your control at the farm.
06:42 You have to take care of the farm
06:43 and not spray any preservatives,
06:46 meaning we only use goat fertilizer.
06:48 Why?
06:51 Because goat fertilizer is healthy
06:53 and has no preservatives.
06:55 - Siham says her products not only offer a natural taste,
07:02 they're also great for our overall health.
07:05 This is a special product,
07:10 it's made with goat milk, goat milk and thyme.
07:13 This herb thyme is amazing for removing stomach germs.
07:16 It washes the colon of toxins,
07:18 cleans the pharynx and opens the lungs.
07:20 Even if children are experiencing nasal congestion
07:24 or are coughing or have abdominal pain,
07:27 mix a teaspoon of it with milk or tea for them.
07:30 It is extraordinary and wonderful.
07:38 Whether it's organic cheese from Lebanon
07:40 or honey from Yemen,
07:41 for traders like Siham and Younis,
07:43 many will be back next year
07:45 and sell their delicious wares.
07:47 - Food is your paint, so be creative.
07:53 That's the motto of Noor Al-Mazroui.
07:55 The Qatari chef used her own food allergies
07:58 as a launching pad to experiment with traditional recipes.
08:02 Chef Noor has invited us into her kitchen
08:04 to show us how she creates healthy versions
08:07 of popular Qatari dishes.
08:09 So now when you think about Qatari food,
08:13 what immediately comes to mind?
08:14 - Qatari food, delicious food, yummy food,
08:18 healthy food as well.
08:19 I know it sounds surprising,
08:20 but it is healthy when you cook it on the right way.
08:23 And it's food for family.
08:25 - So you're gonna make chicken machboos for us.
08:27 Can you tell us about the significance of this dish?
08:30 - It has lots of the spices that when you eat it,
08:34 you don't know what kind of spices are in there.
08:37 And I think each one is having their own recipe
08:40 because it doesn't have like the specific ingredients
08:42 that you have to follow.
08:43 It is like more with the taste.
08:45 Some people like to add onion, tomato.
08:47 Some people like to add more turmeric.
08:49 Some people like to make it a little bit more spicy.
08:51 So it is like a space where you can be creative
08:55 and share your love of food.
08:57 - So you mentioned the spices.
08:58 So how much impact have these spices
09:00 that have been brought to Qatar
09:01 had an impact on, you know, machboos and local dishes?
09:04 - I think if you go to Suqwag,
09:06 you will see like a heaven of spices.
09:09 And every time we went there, we saw like new spices.
09:12 So it's nice to explore
09:13 as long as you are keeping the original recipe the same.
09:16 - So you keep the base and then you kind of work with-
09:17 - Keep the base and be creative.
09:19 And as long as it will be machboos,
09:21 like for example,
09:22 we didn't used to have the machboos vegetarian,
09:24 but why would the vegetarian or vegan people
09:27 will not eat the machboos
09:28 as long as you can keep it at the same way?
09:30 - So the spices smell great.
09:31 Can we get started with some of this?
09:33 - I can't wait.
09:34 This is my favorite part.
09:35 - So for you growing up,
09:36 were these traditions passed down
09:37 from generation to generation?
09:39 - I think the first time I saw the machboos
09:40 was we were going to a trip in the desert
09:43 and my grandmother was there.
09:45 She was like putting her big pot
09:47 and putting everything inside.
09:48 I told her, "What are you doing?
09:50 How did you do it?"
09:51 She said, "Everything you put inside,
09:53 it will give you machboos."
09:54 And then I keep watching her
09:55 and she taught me that this is the way
09:58 how you do the Qatari machboos.
10:01 - I'm sure there was a method to the madness.
10:03 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:03 I saw the method.
10:04 This is what I like about the hot kitchen
10:06 and this recipe,
10:07 that you feel free.
10:09 You don't feel to follow
10:10 and if you miss something,
10:11 in machboos you cannot be wrong.
10:12 - So now you're taking these traditional dishes
10:14 and making your own twist to it.
10:16 What changes are you making to the modern palate?
10:18 - Some people want a different kind of carb,
10:21 want healthier carb, complex carb.
10:23 So I try to do it with the quinoa and the pockwheat.
10:27 It was very nice.
10:28 It was surprisingly nice.
10:29 I followed the same recipe
10:31 and the texture was different,
10:33 but I crave it.
10:35 - So now some of this creativity is out of necessity
10:37 because you have food allergies, right?
10:39 - Yeah.
10:39 - So you had to be creative.
10:40 - I like to think about food accessible for everyone.
10:44 It should be accessible.
10:45 No one should go to a restaurant
10:47 or see a dish and cannot have it.
10:49 Like if I want a cake,
10:50 I cannot have it because I'm gluten free or I'm vegan.
10:53 I should have it.
10:54 If I see machboos,
10:55 I'll miss out machboos the rest of my life
10:57 because I'm vegan or I'm vegetarian.
10:59 So I feel it's your right to have the food
11:03 and do it on the way that suits your allergies.
11:06 So I'm giving them the food.
11:08 I'm reaching a bigger community with my recipes
11:12 and I'm keeping the tradition as well.
11:14 So Adel, are you ready to try the machboos?
11:16 - I think I'm ready.
11:18 - Here you go.
11:19 You can enjoy our Qatari machboos for today.
11:21 - Thank you very much for inviting us.
11:27 - I'm happy that you enjoy it
11:29 and I'm looking forward to your machboos.
11:32 - You have to cook it.
11:33 You have to try it.
11:34 - From learning about all that goes
11:38 into traditional Qatari recipes
11:40 to discovering new twists on old classics,
11:42 we hope you enjoyed what we cooked up
11:44 on this episode of Qatar 365.
11:47 And that's all the time we have for now.
11:48 For more, check out euronews.com
11:50 and connect with us through our hashtag.
11:52 Thanks for watching.
11:53 And we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
11:56 (upbeat music)
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