Yemeni cuisine
Yemeni cuisine is distinct from the wider Middle Eastern cuisines but with a degree of regional variation. Some foreign influences are evident in some regions of the country, the Yemeni kitchen is based on similar foundations across the country.
Customs
The generous offering of food to guests is one of the customs in Yemeni culture, and a guest not accepting the offering is considered as an insult. Meals are typically consumed while sitting on the floor or ground. Unlike the tradition in most Arab countries, lunch is the main meal of the day in Yemen, not dinner.Food preparation
In Yemen, many kitchens have a tandoor, which is a round clay oven.Fruits and vegetables
es, onions, and potatoes are some of the staple fruits and vegetables in Yemen.Meat and dairy
, goat, and lamb are the staple meats in Yemen. They are eaten more often than beef. Fish is also eaten, especially in the coastal areas. Cheese, butter, and other dairy products are less common in the Yemeni diet. Buttermilk, however, is enjoyed almost daily in some villages where it is most available. The most commonly used fats are vegetable oil and ghee used in savory dishes, while clarified butter, known as semn, is the choice of fat used in pastries. Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Yemen, in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.Legumes
are used in Yemeni dishes, such as bean salad. Lentils are also used in dishes, such as stews.Yemeni dishes
Breakfast dishes
Yemeni people prefer to have warm dishes in the morning. Typically, the meal would often consist of different types of pastries with a cup of Yemeni coffee or tea. A more hearty meal would often include legumes, eggs, or even roasted meat or kebab, which is usually served with a type of bread either aside or as a sandwich. People in Yemen also make a breakfast dish that is made from lamb or beef liver, which is considered a bizarre delicacy to non-Yemenis.of fried bread with eggs
Dishes common at breakfast include: fattah, fatoot, ful medames, mutabbaq, and shakshouka.
Lunch dishes
Unlike most countries, lunch is the main meal of the day in Yemen, not dinner. The largest amount of meat, poultry, and grains are consumed at lunch. Dishes common at lunch include: aseed, fahsa, fattah, haneeth, harees, jachnun, kabsa, komroh, mandi, Samak Mofa, shafut, Shawiyah, thareed, and Zurbiyan.Saltah
Although each region has their own variation, saltah is considered the national dish. The base is a brown meat stew called maraq, a dollop of fenugreek froth, and sahawiq or sahowqa. Rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs, and vegetables are common additions to saltah. Meats used in the preparation of this dish are typically lamb or chicken. It is eaten traditionally with Yemeni flatbread, which serves as a utensil to scoop up the food.*The story of Saltah*
It is said that the word "Saltah" comes from the arabic word "salatah" سلطه which means a mixture. The story behind coming up with this meal is that during the Ottoman occupation of Yemen, those ranking high enjoyed variety of food for their lunch including lamb, potatoes, rice and other contents mentioned earlier in the making of this dish. When those high ranking officers finished eating they usually collected whatever was left of their food, mixed it in one pot, reheated it for a while then added fenugreek or whats known locally as "Holba" and passed that left over food to the guards. When one asked what will we have for lunch the answer was "Salatah" which refers to the mixture of leftover food that will be passed to them. Apparently due to the variety of contents of this dish and with the addition of Holba it turned out to be a healthy and delicious dish which with time moved from being the "Saltah = mixture of leftover" food that guards consumed to a must have meal in every Yemeni lunch.
Aqdah
Aqdah, meaning "knot" in Arabic, is a stew made from tying and mixing all the ingredients together. There are many types of ogda, and it can be made with small pieces of lamb, chicken, or fish that is mixed and cooked together with vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini, etc.Yemeni bread varieties
s are an integral part of Yemeni cuisine, most of which are prepared from local grains. Unleavened flat breads are common. Ṣalūf – a flatbread made from wheat flour, is the most common of all breadstuffs. The dough was allowed to ferment with ḫamīrah, while some would baste the surface of the dough with a prepared batch of unseasoned fenugreek prior to baking. These were almost always baked at home in an earthenware oven called tannour in the Arabic dialect, the size of each bread roughly being in thickness with a diameter of to. Tawa, Tameez, Luhuh, Malooga, Kader, Kubane, Fateer, Kudam, Oshar, Khamir, and Muluwah. are also popular breads eaten in Yemen. Malooj, khubz, and khamir are popular homemade breads. Store-bought pita bread and roti are also common.Other Yemeni cooked dishes made of grain
- Harīš – a thick, farinaceous dish, made of broken wheat; either 1/3 or 1/4 of the kernel's regular size, and these broken kernels known collectively as ğašūš. There are some who added either samneh, honey or sugar to the harīš. In Yemen, harīš was customarily eaten on cold winter mornings, and, because of its renowned health benefits in strengthening the body, was given to women during the first weeks after childbirth, as also to the infirm, the weak and the frail. Like unto it was harīs – a thick, farinaceous dish, make of either broken wheat, rice, lentils or beans, and which were pre-cooked in water and to which was later added a fatty portion of meat, or bone marrow, along with vegetables: spring onions, garlic, tomatoes, among other things.
- Našūf – a thin, farinaceous dish, made of broken wheat. It was cooked with either samneh, sugar or honey, and was sipped from a bowl, usually for breakfast. Villagers used to cook the našūf with sour milk, adding zḥug thereto for added flavoring, a dish known locally as: našūf ʻalā zūm.
- Maṭīṭ – a thin, farinaceous dish, made of either ground wheat or barley, which is drunk with samneh, and occasionally with grated onions or sweet marjoram, and which gives to it a bitter taste.
- ʻAṣīṭ – sorghum meal, cornmeal or green barley meal made into a thick paste after being boiled in water. Before its consumption, they added thereto samneh or oil. Some would eat the ʻaṣīṭ as a viand during the Afternoon meal, where soup and meat were served, while others placed it in the soup, along with ḥilba.
Spices
Yemeni cuisine is often prepared hot and spicy with the use of chili peppers, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, and other spices. Herbs such as fenugreek, mint, and cilantro are also used. Fenugreek is used as one of the main ingredients in the preparation of a paste or sauce called holba. A popular spice used in breads is black cumin, which is also known by its Arabic name habasoda.
Desserts and sweets
Bint Al-Sahn 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 dipped in a honey and butter mixture.Other common desserts include: fresh fruit, baklava, zalābiya, halwa, rawani, and masoob. Masoob is a banana-based dessert made from over-ripe bananas, ground flat bread, cream, cheese, dates, and honey.
Honey
In Yemen, honey is produced within the country, and is considered a delicacy. Locally produced honey has a high demand, and it is also considered as a status symbol in the country.Beverages
, black tea, qishr, Qahwa, Karkade, Naqe'e Al Zabib, and diba'a are examples of popular Yemeni drinks. Mango and guava juices are also popular.Although coffee and tea are consumed throughout Yemen, coffee is the preferred drink in Sana'a, whereas black tea is the beverage of choice in Aden and Hadhramaut. Tea is consumed along with breakfast, after lunch, and along with dinner. Popular flavorings include cloves with cardamom and mint. A drink made from coffee husks, called qishr, is also enjoyed.
Alcoholic beverages are considered improper due to cultural and religious reasons, but they are available in the country.