Arab Foods: The Festive Foods of Arabic Speaking Countries

Gary Greer 1/26/2020
Arab Culture
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Though every Arab country has its own holidays, one common thing is the celebration of two main feasts: Eid Al Fitr and Eid al Adha. Eid Al Fitr is a three day feast that marks the end of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al Adha marks the time that Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. You can be sure that when it comes to either of these festivals, food plays an important role in the celebration. 


As families gather together during these special holidays, most Arab countries will have larger versions of their national dishes. Some others will make special meals for the holiday feast. When it comes to these delicacies and Arab hospitality, if you’re invited to an Arab house during these special occasions and you leave hungry, then that’s your fault. So, eat up and enjoy all of these festive foods that you can indulge in during these special times. Sure they will give you a great taste of Arab culture!

Kibbeh

A Levantine dish, kibbeh are football-shaped croquettes made with bulgur dough and semolina. The stuffing is made of ground meat like beef, crushed walnuts, grated onions and spices. Some of them include parsley, black pepper, cumin and red pepper. Sounds really mouth-watering, right?


Tagine

Tagine is a hearty Moroccan stew prepared with plenty of lamb or beef, aromatic vegetables and spices. Quite often you will find fruits like plums and apricots. All of this is slow-cooked to perfection in an earthenware pot called a tagine. Obviously, this is where this delicious meal gets its name.

Biryani

It’s been called a celebration of food, and what better than this dish originally from India to celebrate a feast? Truly, nothing beats biryani. It’s a delectable dish of vegetables and meat buried under a mountain of delicately spiced fluffy rice. Especially if you have a big Arab family with an even bigger appetite.


Maamoul

This flavorful, buttery shortbread cookie, shaped in the form of domes or balls is filled with a variety of stuffings. These include dates, pistachios, or walnuts and rose water, then covered with powdered sugar once baked. Primarily served during the Eid festivals in the Levantine countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. They are also served as kleicha in Iraq and kahk in Egypt and Sudan.


Ghraybeh

An essential dessert in Ramadan, ghraybeh, is another Middle Eastern shortbread cookie. They have an awesomely crunchy and buttery texture that melts in the mouth.


Aseeda

This jelly-like dessert is made up of cooked wheat flour lump of dough with butter and honey on top. It is enjoyed in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Sudan and Libya. It is one of the most popular dishes traditionally eaten during religious festivals.


Debyazah

Debyazah is a rich, thick mix of fruits, nuts and dried apricot seeds. The Egyptians call it khushaf and hosaf (or “water”) by the Turks. Saudis look forward to eating this dish for breakfast in Eid so much so that they start cooking it three days before the Eid holidays officially start.


Baklava

Word-famous baklava is a crunchy dessert and is especially loved throughout the Arab world. Made of layers of filo pastry, butter and a mixture of chopped nuts baked in an oven. It is then soaked in a sugary sweet rose-flavored syrup. It is probably the most globally well-known desert coming from the Middle East.



Now that we’ve got your mouth watering for a taste of Arab food, why not satisfy your hunger to learn Arabic language skills by downloading the Kaleela Arabic language app? Much like the variety of foods you’ll find all across the Arab region during the Eid holidays, Kaleela offers a variety of Arabic dialects including Levantine Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and now you can even learn Syrian Arabic at the touch of your fingers, anytime, anywhere! Out of all the Arab language apps out there today, Kaleela is truly the best way to learn Arabic in a fun and interactive way.