Flavours of Arabia

Arabia (a.k.a. the Gulf or the Middle East or the land between Africa and Central Asia) boasts some of the best cuisine in the world. While first impressions of Gulf food may be that of boiled meat on a big mound of spiced rice, such as that enjoyed by nomadic Bedouins or Lawrence of Arabia, and eaten in a communal setting with the hands, this is not always the case. Indeed, Arabia was at the center of the spice route between the East and Europe. Some frequently used spices in Arabic cooking include cardamom, saffron, turmeric, almonds, flat-leaf parsley, rosewater and dates. Five different recipes follow......