Dishes to Try While Visiting the UAE*

Now that the world is starting to open up for a post-COVID life, it’s not really all that surprising that people are making travel plans. So many of us have had to cancel trips and put our lives on hold for well over a year now, that we’ve all had plenty of time to make those travel bucket lists. I know I have!

And when it comes to choosing places to visit, food can actually be a deal breaker as far as I’m concerned. There are places in the world I want to visit purely for the food, and sometimes great food can even keep me going back somewhere, such as Paris! Once a trip is booked, the first thing I start to plan is the restaurants I want to visit. This website makes it easy to book restaurants and look for inspiration if you feel overwhelmed on whats on offer.

The United Arab Emirates is a great place to visit if you want to try some new dishes, here are 5 that are on my list for my next trip. Because although you might find imitations in your own country, it’s nothing compared to local delicacies.

Shawarma

Being a big MCU fan, shawarma is top of my list of things to try. At the end of Avengers Assemble, Tony Stark asks the Avengers if they want to go get shawarma. And while I’m sure shawarma is tasty in New York, I’m sure there is nothing like having the real thing in the UAE. Shawarma is made up sliced chicken, lamb or beef with fresh salad, vegetables and sauces all wrapped up in a soft flatbread. It’s street food at its finest!

Manakish

A popular Lebanese snack, and I already know it’s going to be popular with me since one of the main ingredients in it is cheese! It’s a flatbread filled with cheese and cooked in a big oven. You can eat it how it is, or have it topped with veg, meat, spices and oils. Personally I’d like it straight out the oven and plain.

Falafel

I LOVE falafel, but like with shawarma, I want to try it authentically made, rather than eating it store bought with a salad. It’s vegetarian but if you’re into your meat, don’t let that put you off as it’s incredibly tasty and can be very filling. It’s deep fried chickpeas but the spice combo used is what gives it a delicious edge.

Luqaimat

While the combo of spices and seasoning is what sets the delicious food apart in the UAE, they have some delicious sweets too, like luqaimat. Luqaimat are crunch sweet dumplings with a soft centre, usually served in some kind of syrup and topped with sesame seeds. Perfect way to end your meal, or even as a snack with a coffee.

Karak

And while this isn’t coffee, it is the national tea of UAE. You can find it at any roadside shop and it works best with something sweet on the side, perhaps some luqaumat?

Surely I can’t be the only one who likes to eat around the world?!