Qatar’s Culinary Journey

In Qatar, having a meal and gahwa (Arabic coffee) are social activities enjoyed by both men and women. Historically, women from the extended family would gather to prepare a meal for the entire family to share and enjoy, while the men in the family prepared the coffee.

Before vegetables were widely available, the Gulf diet relied heavily on meat that came from their animals like lamb and mutton, as well as, on seafood. Camel, male sheep and goat meat were consumed, while female sheep and goat were kept for milk and breeding. Fresh seafood is regularly consumed, as well as dried for future consumption (a practice still done today).

Hunting was both a social and necessary activity practiced amongst men in the family. Large birds could sustain the average family for up to a week. Falcons and salukis were trained by hunters to catch prey such as hares, curlew, houbaras, and ghazels. The meat of ghazels was often dried and saved for later.

The waters of the Arabian Gulf are teeming with fish and home to many species of fish including hamour (grouper), kan’ad (Spanish mackerel), safi (rabbitfish) and rubiyan (tiger shrimp).

Cooked meats served with fragrant and fruit-studded dishes reflect the roots of Qatar and the trade patterns. A few of the main ingredients traded include: Loomi (dried lime) imported from Oman; ginger, curry, cloves, anise and black pepper from India; dates from Al-Hassa, Basra, Bahrain and the Gulf; cinnamon from Sri Lanka; Peshawar rice from Pakistan; garlic, tawabel (ready mixed spices), cumin from the Levant. Even water was traded and brought into Qatar!

Dates, imported from places such as Al-Hasa and Basra, were made locally into syrup called dibs. Dibs is made by pressing dates in a madbasat (ridged floor dibs room). In Al-Zubarah, the archaeological site, the souq shows evidence of this activity on a large scale. In the past, piles of dates would rest on palm fronds over the madbasat, used to collect the syrup. The weight of the dates themselves and the heat were sufficient to create dibs. The exported date syrup had a longer shelf life than the dates themselves, and therefore travelled well. For the most part, however, date syrup was not exported but consumed locally.

Chef Damien Nicolas Leroux is the first Executive Chef at the National Museum's restaurant Jiwan. Damien’s lifelong passion for exploring new flavours started from an early age. From a family of restaurant owners, Damien grew up in the kitchen, surrounded by the buzz and excitement of a busy service.

At 16, Damien travelled from his hometown of Chateaudun to the south of France where Chef Bruno Cirino from L’Hôtellerie Jérôme introduced him to the art of gastronomy. This experience confirmed his love for haute-cuisine, and soon after, he spent several years establishing himself around the Mediterranean region. During this period, Damien met Alain Ducasse, which proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. He joined the team 3-Michelin-starred Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse in Monaco, where he worked for three years with the Executive Chef Franck Cerutti.

Damien rapidly adopted the philosophy of “La cuisine de l’essentiel” based on the respect of produce and brings his passion for being true to the ingredient – delivering its best flavours – to the tables of Jiwan.

To make khubs rgag, dates are mixed with water in one bowl. In another bowl, flour is filled and around two thirds of date water (no dates though!) is added. A handful of this dough is taken and placed on the edge of the al-tawaah (hotplate), where it is spread to create a thin, even coverage. Any excess dough is put back in the mixing bowl. Once the mixture is cooked for several minutes, a palette knife can be used to scrape away any further excess before the bread is eased away from the hotplate with a knife. Then the bread is folded into quarters and placed in a serving bowl.

Chef Noof operates the Desert Rose Café at the National Museum of Qatar, and is amongst the most well-known Qatari chefs. Chef Noof created the menu and ideas for the Desert Rose Café in 2018 and is responsible for the preparation of innovative and locally inspired dishes at the café.


Chef Noof Al Marri is determined to take her delicious dishes global. She has attended and participated in food related exhibitions in China, London, Spain, Turkey, as well as other countries. Chef Noof also created Kashta Café in 2014 under Luxury Restaurant that owns and operates more than 50 international franchise concepts across the Middle East and North Africa.


Below Al Marri shows how she prepares the machboos for guests at her resturant.

The machboos is a revered dish in Qatar, and is one of the most prepared dishes in Qatari households. Qatari Chef Noor Al Mazroei is a an expert in Qatari cuisine. Her primary focus is to recreate Qatari dishes using  healthier alternatives to traditional ingredients.

Al Mazroei’s recipes tend to be  gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options of Qatari dishes. Her pursuit in reimagining Qatari dishes stems from her own personal allergies to certain ingredients.

 Her goal is to ensure everyone has the chance to experience traditional Qatari food, no matter their allergies or food restrictions.

Harees is typically prepared in the morning as it takes a long time to make. After 5 to 6 hours of cooking, the harees pot is removed from the burner. Then it is placed between the legs while the ingredients are pummelled with a special wooden stick until the wheat and meat are fully mixed together. Finally, the harees is topped with Qatari oil made from animal fat and is placed on a plate or in a serving pot.

During Ramadan, harees would be served just before iftar. A small girl from the family distributes it to neighbours who are usually connected by kinship. The custom of sending and sharing meals during Ramadan persists till today.

Click here to view our story on how to prepare and serve gahwa.

- Experience the second part of Qatar's Culinary Journey to learn about how food plays a role in local celebrations.

- Learn how to make and serve gahwa in four easy steps.