Omani Cuisine

Omani cuisine reflects the country's history as a seafaring, trading nation with links across the Indian Ocean, blending Arabian, Persian, Indian and East African flavours. It is fragrant and mild rather than fiery, built on rice, spiced meats, fresh seafood along the long coast, and dates, the beloved staple offered with cardamom-scented coffee as a sign of hospitality. Its celebratory dish is shuwa, marinated meat wrapped and slow-cooked for a day or more in an underground oven.

What you actually see

• Shuwa - the celebratory meat slow-cooked underground for a day.
• Majboos - the spiced rice with meat, the everyday staple.
• The seafood - the fresh fish and shellfish of the coast.
• Dates and Omani coffee - the traditional welcome of dates and kahwa.

When to go

Year-round; the celebratory shuwa is a dish of festivals like Eid rather than everyday menus, so it is a treat to encounter. Dates and cardamom coffee are offered everywhere as a warm sign of Omani hospitality.

Honest expectations

Distinctly Omani home cooking can be hard to find in restaurants, many of which serve Indian, Lebanese or international food, so a traditional Omani meal or a home invitation is a real treat. It is mild and fragrant rather than spicy. Dates and kahwa coffee, offered generously everywhere, are the heart of the famed Omani hospitality.

Nearby

Muscat and the coast for seafood; the interior for the traditional meat dishes.