Oman is a nation of seafarers and desert dwellers where influences from far away countries mix to the Bedouin hospitality, and the land and the sea prepared with the best spices brought back from centuries of trading are the signature of the local cuisine. Today, with many influences from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it can be tough to identify the authentic Omani cuisine: here is a short guide to help you make the most of your culinary discoveries in the sultanate.
The base of Omani food is rice dishes cooked with the available meat, which can be camel or goat in the desert and spices, omnipresent and never overpowering. As such, the shuwa is the classic Omani celebration dish: the marinated meat is roasted in an underground fire pot for over six hours of slow cooking, and served with a rice delicately cooked in a meat broth with spices such as cardamom, cumin and cinnamon.
Mishkaks can easily be found all over the country: smell the barbecue and you will see these skewers of chargrilled lamb, chicken, squid or prawns cooked with Omani spices and sometimes served with a tangy tamarind sauce.
An authentic southern dish, saloonat rubyan is a coconut curry base with Omani prawns. Mashuai are traditional grilled fish dishes best enjoyed anywhere along the coast.
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