How to Eat Like a Local in Qatar

 Traditional Qatari cuisine proves to be quite delicious, with the influences coming from an array of other cuisines such as African, Indian, and the Mediterranean. Eating like a native in the country can be a bit difficult if you don't know where to go. Here's a guide for you to eat in the country like a native Qatari.

What natives eat in Qatar

                                                                    Machboos | Img via Wikimedia Commons

Machboos is probably the most famous Qatari dish, which is a blend of rice, meat, vegetables, and other spices. Similar to the Indian Biriyani, Machboos is quite often served along with lemon, rose water, or chilli sauce. Camel meat is quite a popular dish in Qatar, which is cooked for long periods to obtain tender and succulent meat. It is widely eaten with Machboos or wrapped in shawarmas. If you visit a Qatari household, they would most probably offer you dates, which come in different varieties. From expensive varieties such as Medjool to more popular Ajwa, you may come across an array of dates that vary in their size and richness. The demand for dates goes sky-rocketing around the Holy Month of Ramadan as Muslims eat them to break their fasting. Fatayer is a type of pie that includes spinach, meat, or cheese.

Train your sweet tooth the Qatari way

There isn't any shortage when it comes to sweets in the Gulf desserts in Qatar. Pastry lovers can taste the Qatayef, a deep-fried pastry that is brimming with cheese and syrup. Those who don't like dairy products can treat themselves with Luqaimat, a sweet dough dumpling that is ladled with syrup. If you're someone with a subtle sweet tooth, you can try the Middle Eastern Pudding called the oumm ali, meaning 'Ali's mother.' Mahalabia is a rose-water and cardamom-infused milk-pudding that is topped with nuts. You can also look forward to buying Yemeni honey from the shops around Doha, including Souq Waqif. Price may vary by weight, and even the least expensive of the lot will taste like something you would drink in heaven.

Time your visits around the festivals

If you time your visits to Qatar in March, you may come across the Qatar International Food Festival, which is a multicultural festival where you can experience the country's diverse food scene in one place. It offers exquisite culinary experiences in outdoor spaces to residents and visitors to Qatar. The 11th edition of this festival was held at Al Bidda Park, located close to many a restaurant in Doha Qatar offered by properties such as Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli. Qatari ways of eating are more closely related to the details of this festival.

Eat at usual dining places of locals

A favourite of the Qataris, Mamig, is a blend of Lebanese and Armenian cuisines. The incredibly extensive list of hot and cold starters would set your mood into enjoying the other delicacies of this cuisine. The L'wzaar Seafood Market in Katara Cultural Village pays tribute to Doha's origins as a fishing village. The restaurants of this seafood market boast of the freshest seafood around. The diners at the L'wzaar Seafood Market get to select their fish from an assortment of fresh catches that are just brought down from the sea and choose their preferred culinary style in which the fish should be prepared. At Aroma Restaurant of the Kempinski Residences & Suites, you can eat the much-loved camel meat burger that has been marinated for 48 hours. Also, at the same property, you will come across the Zengo, a restaurant with breathtaking views of the Doha Skyline.