Your visit to Oman wouldn’t be complete without trying out its delectable traditional cuisine, which has been influenced by Arabian, Persian, Indian, Mediterranean and North African elements. Here are some of the best dishes to try.

Majboos 

Majboos, also known as kabsa, is an excellent choice with which to start your experience of Omani foods. Influenced by biryanis from Persia and India, majboos is prepared by reusing the water used to cook the meat or fish to cook the rice. It is always a mouth-watering dish and typically features lamb, chicken, camel meat, shrimp, fish or other kinds of protein sources.

Kebabs

You should undoubtedly take the opportunity to try out the local kebabs during your visit as well. Definitely a highlight is the Omani kebab called mishkak, which typically consists of beef, mutton or chicken that is cubed, marinated and skewered; it is then grilled to perfection and makes for a delicious snack, too. An accommodation choice to consider, which also has an Omani restaurant in Muscat where you can savour kebabs and other local dishes, is the conveniently located Al Falaj Hotel Muscat, an ideal base for your foodie adventures.

Harees 

A very different kind of culinary speciality is harees, which may be described as a porridge-like dish that is commonly consumed during Ramadan. To make harees, coarse ground wheat is combined with butter, water and meat and the resulting mixture is allowed to soak for a number of hours; it is then slow-cooked till it becomes creamy and delicious.

Shuwa 

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Shuwa, sometimes referred to as Oman’s national dish, is sure to tantalise your taste buds. To make this dish, generally bone-in portions of goat meat or lamb – or sometimes camel or beef – are coated with a blend of spices including cardamom, chilli, cumin, cloves and coriander; after this, the meat is wrapped within palm or banana leaves and roasted in an underground pit, which lends to its distinctive flavour.