Matt's Notes

Omani Treats

Matthew Green

Originally published on Wish You Were Here.

Kahwa

Kahwa is traditional Omani coffee. The core ingredients are ground cardamom pods and good quality Arabic coffee beans. Other spices such as cloves, cinnamon or saffron are added to the brewing process and these can differ from village to village, and from family member to family member. The method is simple:

1.) Take a kettle of water and bring it to a simmer.
2.) Add the coffee grounds and bring it to a boil.
3.) Place ground cardamom, or cloves, or cinnamon etc into the empty coffee pot.
4.) Pour the boiled coffee through a strainer into the pot.
5.) Serve with dates

We shared some lovely kahwa with our friends in Al Rustaq over Eid. Each pot was made by a different member and each pot had a different flavour.

Coffee culture is huge in Oman with giant coffee pots adorning traffic roundabouts and large clay pots available at various souks.

The traditional way of enjoying kahwa in the home is to sit on the floor and never fill the cup to the brim. Once the guest has had enough coffee they simply shake their cup so that the host knows to stop pouring. I learned this lesson a little late in the day and was positively buzzing by the time I had to drive home 😉

But what do you eat with your Kahwa? Halwa of course.

Halwa

Halwa is the national desert of Oman and a symbol of the countries heritage and culture. The taste is unique to the family that makes it and the recipe is handed down from generation to generation. The method of producing halwa has been preserved for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years as grandparents teach their grandchildren the hidden family secrets.

“Omani halwa is a symbol of Omani culture and heritage and we have to take extremely good care to preserve it.” – says Younis Abdulrahim Al Balushi, whose family has been making Omani halwa since 1951. Times of Oman.

There are several types of halwa including honey, saffron and rosewater based. The later has a flavour with a hint of Turkish delight. During the Eid al Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan, tons of halwa is produced and sold with prices ranging from 2 to 10 rials per kilogram.

We were lucky enough to visit a local halwa production facility in Al Rustaq, a lovely town in the Al Batinah region of northern Oman, during the first day of Eid. The family showed us their methods for producing their particular brand of halwa down to the hand decorating of individual bowls with dates, dried fruit and slivered almonds. In spite of the crush of locals lining up to collect their orders, our hosts looked after us very well and presented us with a lovely gift of homemade honey halwa, which requires more than three hours to cook and is the most expensive variety of halwa, at the end of our visit.

Halwa is a uniquely flavoured desert so if you get a chance to try locally made halwa then grasp the opportunity in both hands. It may not be what you expect, but it will be an amazing experience.