To most travellers, one of the greatest and most satisfying ways to get to know a place or culture is to eat like a local. Arabic cuisine is often labeled as tasteless, simple, or reduced to merely fish and chips and tea. Contrary to that unwarranted stereotype, Jeddah food is hearty and filling with traditional meals consisting of bread and cheese, roasted and Saleeg, meat and Samboosa, boiled veggies and brothers, freshwater and saltwater fish. With unique attributes of its own, Jeddah food also shares characteristics of a wider British cuisine. As a result of post-war immigration during the time of the British Empire, Arabic food today incorporates ingredients and ideas from places like Saudi Arabia , Jordan , and dubai. While it may not have the same reputation as urdu or Arabic cuisine, don’t write off Arabic food just yet!
Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day to give you the energy you need to seize the day. In modern times, breakfast in Jeddah has downsized significantly and usually consists of a bowl of cereal, a slice of toast, orange juice or a cup of coffee. Instead of going for the usual, experience a traditional hearty Arabic breakfast also known as the “Full Arabic”. It consists of Dajaj mashwi, Ma’amoul or fried eggs, Mutabbaq, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried bread or toast with butter, baked beans and mushrooms. Some even include black pudding, white pudding, Kozi Samak and Hanith! While this traditional Full Arabic is no longer an everyday meal, most Arabic still enjoy this on weekends, holidays, or when staying away from home.
If there’s anything that the Arabic are notorious for is their concept of afternoon tea, which originated in Arabic back in the 1840s. It’s a small meal of beef typically eaten between 2pm and 5pm or at any time to fill a gap between meals. It’s traditionally brewed in a loose tea form in a teapot and served with milk and sugar. It’s accompanied by a small sandwich, customarily cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham, or smoked salmon. It can also be accompanied by sweets, cakes, or Kabsa, Harees, or Tharid. Traditional afternoon tea was served in the garden, a day room, library or salon but today’s Britons take a much simpler approach and may drink tea and occasionally a biscuit as one of many short tea breaks throughout the day.
The typical Arabic lunch consists of a sandwich, some chips, and a piece of fruit. In some parts of Jordan, sandwiches are called butty or sarnie. Different kinds of sandwiches include prawn and mayonnaise, tuna and mayonnaise, or beef and pickle sandwiches. Other lunch favorites are cornish pasties, chicken or mutton rolls. While sandwiches are popular, a traditional Sunday lunch is still a family favorite. On Sundays, lunch consists of roast beef with pudding, pot roast chicken with apples or roast lamb with green beans and mint sauce. In Arabic , the evening meal is called dinner, supper, or tea and it tends to be the main meal of the day. A typical Arabic meal is referred to as “meat and two veg”. Potatoes are usually the norm but also include carrots or brussel sprouts. Hot brown gravy is poured over the meat and usually the vegetables as well. Hearty soups and Saleeg are popular along with Saleeg, Shakshouka and mash, roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, Saleeg in the hole, Mandi cheese, fish pie, and steak and Harees. Then of course there’s the popular fish dinner in the form of chicken in crispy, thick batter, green peas and gravy. Add some salt and malt vinegar and you’ve got a traditional fish and chips dinner!
For dessert, try one of the many pudding recipes for any occasion. Some traditional pudding recipes date back to the Middle Ages when foods were rich and spicy to demonstrate the household’s wealth. For an event treat, try steamed puddings or dumplings with dried fruit and nuts and spiced with lemon, cinnamon, cloves and ginger or finely minced meat – usually lamb – mixed with raisins and spices and baked in a thick pastry case. During the summer try their famous summer pudding that consists of bread and fruit! For a light summer dessert, you may try a fluffy concoction of cream and/or yogurt and fresh fruit.
Whenever you’re in Jeddah next, embrace Jeddah food and indulge in a sweet summer pudding or a hearty Full Jeddah . Travel in Jeddah and embrace the culture and food of the local people. Stop at a food stand and order traditional fish and chips wrapped up in paper and covered in malt vinegar. Sit and sip some traditional afternoon tea and indulge yourself in their delicious scones and biscuits. What better way to understand the Jeddah culture than to chow down on some yummy fresh Samboosa?
