Once again, RealFoodTraveler.com readers are the lucky beneficiaries of writer Edward Placidi’s travels far and wide. This time, he tells us what we can expect (even the unexpected) from food in Oman. 

Save this article about Omani food to Pinterest to keep it handy. Photos by Edward Placidi. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Food in Oman is a Delicious Melting-Pot Cuisine ‒ That’s Unknown Outside the Country

Brimming with the ingredients of the Omani kitchen, the country’s souks ‒ the sprawling covered marketplaces ‒ are an explosion of color with countless containers of pungent herbs and spices sourced from many lands, from blue lavender and pomegranate flowers to orangey-red saffron and green cardamom pods.

“Our passion for spiced foods has historic roots, going back to when Oman was a famous trading nation,” explained Josems, a spice merchant in Mutrah Souk, Oman’s largest.

Oman once reigned over a celebrated trading empire stretching from Arabia and the Middle East to East Africa and South Asia. Mutrah was its greatest port, welcoming camel caravans from the desert and dhow sailing vessels from many seas laden with frankincense, spices, foods, gold and carpets.

The Brilliant Colors of Spices and Foods in Mutrah Souk.

Over the years, a nuanced cuisine evolved in Oman that adapted ingredients and techniques from far-flung trading partners. The influences, arriving from India, Yemen and other lands, in time would become staples. And in recent decades, culinary input from South Asia accelerated:  modernization and growing affluence from oil and gas revenue brought a flood of South Asians – mainly Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, who are now about 40% of the population – to fill hard labor and service jobs, notably as cooks in restaurants and private homes.

Today, Oman is a culinary enigma:  food-centric with a delicious, sophisticated melting-pot cuisine that is virtually unknown outside the country.

“Grilling & Juicing” is an obsession in Oman, and they are masters of the culinary genre. The three words are plastered (in English) on the façade of eateries throughout the nation.

Meat, chicken and seafood skewers and kebabs, cooked on charcoal grills, are ubiquitous, usually accompanied by sides such as rice, fries, hummus, tabbouleh and other salads. To wash it down, Oman serves up an impressive, and widely available, selection of freshly squeezed and blended juices: guava, orange, kiwi, watermelon, pomegranate, strawberry, lemon mint, pineapple, mango and various banana smoothies. This is a dry country so it’s juices rather than wine or beer.

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What sets Omani grilling apart is the seasoning, the spice rubs and marinades. They are palate-tingling blasts of flavor, usually enhanced with a nice char, that take your taste buds to the edge. The seasoning may be a blend of cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, garlic, cilantro and ginger, or simply salt and lime. The ever-present skewers called mishkak, which may be camel, lamb or goat as well as beef, may be dressed with just black pepper and cumin or crushed red pepper and tamarind sauce.

I discovered why Meta Grills & Juices, an open-air eatery on the Mutrah Corniche, the boardwalk along the bay, was always packed. The Chicken Kebab Plate was scrumptious: The kebabs were splayed in half for easy eating and savory to the max, blending ground chicken with spices and herbs including cilantro and parsley. The richest, creamiest hummus was topped with tangy purple sumac, and the slaw of white onion, green pepper and cabbage was sliced impossibly thin and splashed with white vinegar. The topper to the meal was the fresh squeezed and blended pomegranate juice that was joyously flavorful.

The Chicken Kebab Plate at Meta Grills & Juices restaurant on the Mutrah Corniche.

Another ubiquitous Omani culinary obsession is biryanis, the basmati rice dish originally from India which is fiery hot there but not in Oman. Rice is a cherished mainstay, the essential food that must be eaten daily, and biryani is Oman’s favorite rice dish. It was clear why when I sampled Tuna and Leg of Lamb biryanis

At Mazhabi al Yaman restaurant in the far northern town of Khasab, the fresh tuna medallions were rubbed with a pungent spice mixture, grilled and charred – delivering a burst of mildly piquant spiciness. The basmati rice was flavored with delicate saffron, flecked with tiny bits of carrot and other vegetables giving it a pretty multi-colored presentation, and topped with caramelized fried onions and golden raisins. I paired the mouthwatering biryani with a popular accompaniment: a typical crunchy Omani chopped salad of diced carrots and cucumbers, slices of tomato, arugula and other lettuces with lemon dressing.

Grilled Tuna Biryani at Mazhabi al Yaman Restaurant in Khasab.

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At Yemen Village Kitchen, also in Khasab, the Leg of Lamb Biryani was very skillfully spiced and prepared, the tender, caramelized and charred meat melted in my mouth. It came with a typically colorful basmati rice and a very atypical Omani salsa that was extra garlicky and quite hot.

Leg of Lamb Biryani from Yemen Village Restaurant in Khasab.

Beyond Biryani, rice is foundational to many popular dishes. Paplou, a citrusy seafood soup I sampled at Muscat’s acclaimed Bait al Luban restaurant, combines basmati rice with garlic, ginger, sun-dried lime, onions, tomato, chili and seafood. Healthy and flavorful, it is a favorite in coastal areas of Oman.

Paplou Fish Soup at Bait al Luban Restaurant in Muscat.

When I was seated at Bait al Luban, I was immediately served a glass of water infused with frankincense. Conjuring up images of caravans and sacred ceremonies, frankincense is grown in southern Oman and, in addition to its legendary scent, is considered a digestive tonic.

A specialty of Bait al Luban is Shuwa, an iconic Omani dish that’s a favorite at weddings, served atop Qabuli rice. Beef is rubbed with a blend of coriander, garlic, red pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and white vinegar, then cooked at least six hours underground in a firepit wrapped in banana leaves. Slow cooking imbues the meat with crackliness and an intense spiciness that is lightly fiery. Combined with the intense, simmered-in-meat-broth Qabuli, Shuwa is a powerful, very filling dish. It was served with dipping sauces common in Oman:  yogurt with cucumber, and a tomato puree blended with cilantro, garlic and salt, sort of an Omani salsa.

Shuwa Beef with Qubuli Rice at Bait al Luban restaurant in Muscat.

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Foods from the Arab world are on menus with an Omani twist. A Shish Tawook pita wrap, for example, usually with chicken, hummus and pickled vegetables, here has grilled chicken and vegetables with Indian spices. Phyllo cheese pies, popular in the Middle East, here are drizzled with honey and chocolate.

At Sahari Restaurant in the port of Sur, which claims Sinbad the Sailor as a native son and is famed for its historic dhow ship-building yards, I savored delectable, and popular, Omani versions of foods originally from the Levant at an open-air table at the edge of a lagoon. Arayes combined minced lamb with herbs and tomatoes stuffed in flatbread and pan fried; a very tasty comfort food that is also prepared with ground beef. Fattoush was a mixed salad ‒ cucumbers, tomatoes, purslane, lettuces, parsley and mint ‒heavily topped with pita bread strips fried in olive oil (like croutons) with a sour-citrusy-tangy dressing of lime and crimson-colored sumac.

Fattoush is a popular chopped salad in Oman.

In food-loving Oman, sitting down to eat is like traveling the ancient spice routes – though with an unusual modern twist: In the typical restaurant the table is “set” with a sheet of plastic cut from a big roll and a tissue box for napkins. When you finish, they just roll up the plastic and throw it away, leaving a clean table.

Oman has modernized over recent decades, but the beautiful, time-honored traditional gesture of hospitality here ‒ offering dates and spiced Arab coffee – remains set in stone. Restaurants will bring you the duo complimentary at the end of your meal. Hotels often have them available at a table in the lobby. More than once I was spontaneously offered coffee and dates as I walked down the street.

I was out in fearsome mountains of the interior hiking one of the wild wadis, the dry riverbeds that wind through sheer, towering canyons of rock, when my guide, Bader, pulled a thermos and dates from his knapsack. Sitting by a pool, we munched sweet, sticky dates and sipped Arabic coffee that channeled the souk, Omani culinary history and this hospitable, welcoming nation. “Omanis like to share spiced coffee with friends. I added rose water, cardamom and a little saffron,” he beamed.

– Story and photos by Edward Placidi

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