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The Cuisines Of Kuwait
The polyethnic diversity of the population is
the reason that a vast range of foodstuff is available
in Kuwait. The staples of the Arabian, Western, Indian
and Far Eastern diets are sold in the supermarkets.
Small groceries supply the soul foods of Arabia and the
Eastern Mediterranean, Pakistan, Baluchistan, India, Sri
Lanka, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand-everything
from fragrant rice to fermented fish. This phenomenal
choice is reflected on private dinner tables and in
Kuwait's innumerable restaurants. Kuwait is a food
lover's paradise.
Home cooking and partying play an important part in the
social life of expatriates. This may be due to the
emphasis on family life and the conservative nature of
evening entertainment in Kuwait. But the culinary
emphasis also arises from the abundance of freshly
caught seafood and fresh vegetables and fruit available
every day in the local markets. Kuwait borders the Gulf,
and fish has been a mainstay of the Kuwaiti diet for
centuries. From the bedouin tradition comes grilled,
skewered meat, both cubed and ground. The Gulf Arabs
played a key role in establishing the ancient trade
routes that introduced spices from the East to Europe,
and spices remain an important ingredient in Kuwaiti
cuisine today.
Kuwaiti Food
Native cooking reflects Kuwaiti history, its
tribes and immigrants, and its international desert and
marine trading traditions. It is a unique mélange of
Bedouin, Persian, Indian and Eastern Mediterranean
influences.
In the early tabeekh (Bedouin way of cooking), the whole
meal is cooked in a single large pot over charcoal. Meat
or fish, vegetables and spices are first browned at the
bottom of the pot. Rice or wheat and water are then
added, and the pot is covered and left to simmer for
some time. This method is still used in Kuwaiti homes to
make meat porridges and some traditional prawn and
vegetable dishes. In a more complicated method known as
marag, which was introduced under Indian and Persian
influences, the meal is also cooked in a large pot, but
the ingredients are first fried or boiled separately
before being combined and steamed together. Various
kinds of fish and meat marags are very popular in home
and diwaniyahs.
To satisfy the sophisticated native palate, savoury
dishes must be spiced and the blending of spices is a
highly-sophisticated local art form. However, no two
chefs in Kuwait will agree on the exact blend of
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, ginger,
nutmeg, black pepper and paprika found in Baharat, the
most common spice-mix.
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