Saudi Arabian Cuisine: An Insight

Local food is often spicy and strongly flavoured. The staple diet is "pitta" (flat unleavened bread) and is served with every dish. Muslims are not allowed to eat pork but eat chicken and mutton, rarely beef. The main meat meal of the day is lunch, usually either kultra (meat on skewers) or kebabs served with soup and vegetables. Rice, lentils, chickpeas and cracked wheat are eaten often. Appetizers are called "mezzeh" and are as elaborate as 40 varieties! Bedouin coffee is unsweetened and flavoured with cardamom. Serving coffee to visitors is an age-old custom derived from Bedouin hospitality traditions and is an important part of Saudi etiquette. However, traditional coffee houses have been modernized to western cafes and shopping malls.

The only drinks available are colas, water and fruit juice. Drinking alcohol or even carrying it is absolutely ILLEGAL.