Unique Middle Eastern Cuisine

　　 Qatar, located at the southwestern end of the Persian Gulf and facing Dubai side by side, looks like a small torch sticking out of the bay from the map. Its total area is about 11,521 square kilometers.
　　 No matter where you’re traveling to Qatar from, the first thing you feel when you land in the capital, Doha, is the heat. Qatar has a typical desert tropical climate. The highest temperature in summer can reach 50°C, and even in winter the temperature often soars to 30°C.
　　 Qatar is an Islamic country, and the clothing tends to be conservative. Sleeveless vests and hot pants are considered immodest and are not allowed to enter mosques. But a cup of simple and refreshing mint lemon tea can soothe your heart in the first place. This is also the “national drink” of Qatar. The refreshing and sweet mixture of mint, lemon, ice cubes and honey can help people resist a little irritability in the hot summer.
　　 More than 80% of Qatar’s population are foreigners, mainly from India, Pakistan and Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, in terms of food, Qatari cuisine presents a fusion style of South Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa and Middle Eastern Arab countries.
　　 This can be seen from the traditional breakfast in Qatar. Breakfast in Qatar usually consists of jam, yogurt, hummus, pickled small olives, burritos, tomato scrambled eggs and pate with spices such as cardamom and turmeric. The staple food is the “soul burrito” from the Arab world. It is served with strong spices that South Asians love, and it also balances the dietary elements of the Mediterranean diet that emphasizes yogurt, fruits and vegetables, and beans. After eating, drink a cup of fragrant traditional karaoke With tea, or a cup of Arabica coffee infused with cloves, saffron and cumin, a hearty breakfast is the perfect start to the day.
　　 The diet of Arab countries is often nicknamed “everything in the pancake roll”. This iconic Middle Eastern snack can be seen everywhere in the oldest traditional market in Doha, the Waqif Bazaar, which is commonly known as the Turkish barbecue roll .
　　 Put strips of beef or chicken on an upright rotating rack to warm and slow roast, spread garlic sauce on the baked thin white bread, spread pickles slices and vegetables, French fries, and spread all over A layer of minced meat cut from the barbecue grill, squeezed with salad dressing, tomato sauce or barbecue sauce, is a bit similar to the old Beijing chicken roll, but with richer ingredients and softer and thinner dough.
　　 Such a burrito costs about 10 riyals on the streets of Doha, equivalent to about 18 yuan. This kind of wheat bread is the staple food, which is related to the climate where most of the Arab countries are in the desert and cannot grow rice. The dry climate is more suitable for the growth of wheat. The bread can not only be used for meat, but also can be eaten with sauce. It is convenient and full. choose.
　　 Qataris also eat rice, and most of the rice they eat is imported from India. Indian rice tastes dry and hard after cooking, and it is not sticky, which is quite different from the smooth and soft elastic that the Chinese pursue. This kind of rice has almost no pleasure to eat, and it is usually eaten with turmeric, cinnamon, raisins and nuts, so it has achieved another Middle Eastern classic dish-Qatar rice stew.
　　 Qatari stewed rice, also known as pilaf, is usually cooked with chicken or mutton, turmeric powder, tomato, garlic, cinnamon, saffron, etc. The cooked chicken is then grilled, and the remaining sauce is used for cooking The rice is finally covered with grilled chicken on the bright red rice, served with sauce and pickled vegetables, which is “Qatar stewed rice”.
　　 Grilling and stewing are the two main ways for Arabs to process food. The most common way of cooking meat is to marinate it with a lot of spices and then grill it. This is different from the barbecue practice in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia in my country. Compared with the single use of cumin and chili, Arabs prefer compound seasoning, such as turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and other spices commonly used by Indian and Persian people, and finally add it Yogurt and lemon neutralize the greasiness of the barbecue, so the final taste of the food is usually dominated by sour and milky aroma. This practice is related to the fact that the Arabs are nomads, because dairy products are the main source of food supplements for nomads; and being in the tropics rich in various spices makes their seasoning methods closer to South Asia.
　　 In addition to the common grilled meat, Arabic stew is also a classic Qatari delicacy. It is a home-cooked dish of the locals and has no specific recipe. It can be found in almost every Qatari restaurant. Its status is similar to that of braised pork in southern my country and northern The ground three delicacies. Beef, mutton or fish can be used, with seasonal vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, etc., stewed with garlic and ginger, and served with rice or burritos.