Starters
Zahaweg Sana'ani: a spicy sauce made from fresh tomatoes, hot green pepper and spices.
Zahaweg Jobn: a spicy sauce made from fresh tomatoes, hot chilly, spices and Yemeni goat cheese.
Shafoot: crepe bread made from millet with yoghurt, mint, hot green pepper and herbs.
Helba: a fondue made from meat bouillon with eggs, rice or vegetables and fenugreek mixed with herbs.
Bent Assahn: pizza pastry covered with honey and black sesame.
Buraik: puff pastry stuffed with minced meat.
Muddabaq: doubled pancake, inside roasted eggs with tomatoes, herbs and spices.
Sabaya: bread covered with honey.
Soups
Shorbat Addas: lentil soup.
Shorbat Khudhar: vegetable soup.
Shorbat Borr: barley soup.
Marag: bouillon made from mutton or goat meat.
Main dishes
Hanid: lamb or goat meat covered with spices and banana leaves and then grilled in clay oven under the earth.
Kabsa: colored spicy rice mixed with lamb meat.
Agdah: lamb meat cooked with vegetables, tomato sauce and spices.
Mohkbazat Sayd: fish covered with a spicy tomato sauce grilled in a clay oven.
Fattah: bread mixed with bouillon, eggs and spices or mixed with dates and bananas.
Vegetable dishes
Foul: Soya beans cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot green pepper and spices.
Fasuuliah: white or red beans cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot green pepper and spices.
Mushakkal: mixed vegetables cooked or roasted with tomatoes and spices.
Addas: lentils cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices.
Breads
Kiddam: a bigger roll made from different types of whole meal flour.
Meluudj: pastry bread made from wheat and millet flour.
Shaeer: pastry bread made from barley flour.
Ruumi: small pastry bread made from maize flour.
The typical kitchen in Yemen makes use of a wide range of spices enhanced by garlic and herbs, especially fresh cilantro and mint.
The most commonly used spices in Yemeni cuisine are the following:
Chilli peppers, cardamon, cumin, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, cilantro, fenugreek, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, caraway, saffron etc. One famous spice mixture is called Hawaij. A wide range of herbs such as mint is also used.
The main staple drinks is obviously coffee which was first cultivated in Yemen, tea and Qishr a local Yemeni drink that contains spiced coffee husks, ginger and cinnamon. Honey is also very popular to add into various drinks.
Otherwise fruit juices such as lemon, orange, mango and guava are the most popular.
For now I will just cover two dishes in detail specifically rest will just be photos for now:
Saltah
It's basically a meat stew. Considered as one of the national dishes of Yemen although it is mainly eaten in Northern Yemen and thought to be native to Sana'a.
Main ingredients: Maraq, fenugreek, sahawiq (chillies, tomatoes, garlic and herbs), okra and onion.
Rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs and various vegetables are also ordinary additions. Eaten with Yemeni flatbread more or less always.
Samak
Due to Yemen's nearly 2000 km long coastline sea food is very popular in the coastal regions of the country and various sea foods are eaten. One of the them is the fish Samak.
Mandi also known as Haneeth
This is a dish native to Yemen, more precisely the Hadhramaut region. Basmati rice is always used and either lamb or chicken, sometimes mixed and a mixture of spices. The meat is cooked in tandoors which makes the taste special. Raisins, pine nuts etc. are often added. Coconut milk in Southern Yemen as well.
I will just post photos of Yemeni cuisine now since I don't have the time or knowledge to go into the small details with all dishes and it would be very time-consuming.
Typical breakfast:
That's roasted/grilled sheep liver on the bottom left. Very tasty.
Then there is the famous Yemeni
Bint el Sahn which is made from many layers of dough, baked and served with a drizzle of honey on top. It is consumed during the meal as a main dish, not as a desert.
Obviously I can't post more than 10 photos per post but later I will cover many more dishes and all the shawarma, falafel, kebab, kibbeh and other main dishes. Whether meat or sea food dishes. Or vegetarian. Deserts and the drinks as well. So have patience.
In the meantime I can recommend this page below:
She has covered hundreds of Yemeni dishes with photos and recipes often including videos that show how to make the dishes.
Sheba Yemeni Food & Recipes | Your source for Yemeni food & recipes, ingredients, and unique dishes!
Of course all that is a tiny, tiny introduction to the Yemeni cuisine so far. As everyone can now see then Yemeni cuisine is famous for using many different spices, herbs etc. More than any other cuisine in the ME.
Let me also once again state that I am no expert and I have a flute right now so if any full-blooded Yemeni sees any mistakes then forgive me.
shebam Manhattan of the desert, tribal region of Hadramawt, northeast Yemen by anthony pappone photographer, on Flickr
