Omani Dining Trivia Quiz

Answer: kahwa

Coffee in Oman is quite different than in the US and Europe. In Oman, coffee is often blended with green cardamom, a spice derived from the ginger family, to give the coffee a rich and minty flavor. Often, kahwa is served with cookies or cakes for nibbling.

Answer: A thin bread

Rukhal is a thin bread made from flour which is cooked over an oven fired with coals of leaves or wood. Although rukhal can be served with any meal, it is often found at the breakfast table, served with jellies and jams. Some shops serve a rich creamy butter flavored with cinnamon to spread on the rukhal. A popular drink during breakfast is laban. Laban is a yogurt based drink which has the flavor of a tangy buttermilk.

Some people put salt and pepper in their laban, but I prefer adding some cinnamon and milk to mine.

The sweetness tends to counteract the sour flavor of the yogurt which yields a more appealing experience.

Answer: Sakhana

Sakhana is very different than many soups you would find in the US because it has the sweet flavor of molasses and milk. Sakhana has a wheat base and can contain dates or other exotic fruits.
A nice contrast with sakhana at lunchtime is a spiced meat kebab, either lamb or goat, grilled over an open pit. Most meats used in kebabs are marinated in heavy spices including, peppers, ginger, garlic, nutmeg and cloves.

Answer: Meatloaf

Kofta more resembles a meatloaf, or in some instances, a sausage. Kofta is usually made with ground goat or lamb packed full of spices and flavors. Kofta can be served with rice or sometimes with sliced potatoes. I've had kofta smothered in a curry gravy which was quite good as well.
For those so inclined, koftas can be made strictly with vegetables and rice. Cabbage, onions, peppers and sprouts are sometimes found in the vegetarian version of this meal.

Answer: Saffron

The name saffron comes from an old Arabic word used to describe the color yellow. Saffron is recognized as one of the most expensive and precious of all the spices. It takes the stigmas of nearly 75,000 saffron flowers to produce one pound of the spice, and each of these stigma has to be carefully removed by hand. Saffron has an earthy flavor which provides a good base for most dishes served in Arabian countries. Saffron is sometimes substituted with turmeric due to the cost. Turmeric has similar coloring and flavor to saffron and the two are sometimes used together in rice, vegetable, curry dishes, desserts and meat dishes. Almost all Arab cooks has saffron in their spice rack, but uses it sparingly.

A little saffron goes a long way in cooking.

Answer: Kingfish

Technically, if you could spot that the incorrect answers are all freshwater fish, then you should have easily been able to pick kingfish as a fish regularly served in Oman. Known as kana'd, the kingfish is sometimes prepared in a mashwai. The entire fish is dressed and then roasted over an open pit. Before roasting, the fish is marinated in an assortment of herbs and spices.

After cooking, the kana'd is served over a blend of rice and herbs with a healthy squeeze of lemon and lime.

Answer: Shuwa

All of the incorrect answers are not cooking techniques, but different regions around the country of Oman. Preparing food in the style of shuwa requires the meat, usually a cow or goat, to be marinated in a vinegary brine solution enriched with coriander, cardamom, red pepper, garlic, cumin and turmeric. Pits are dug underground and hot embers are dropped in.

The meat, wrapped in the banana or date leaves, is dropped into the pits and then sealed so that the smoke is contained. The concealed smoke sears in all the flavors and juices in the meat during cooking. Once a couple days has passed, the pits are opened, the sacks are unwrapped and the entire community partakes in the tender, succulent, roasted meat.

This communal event is typically held after the end of the month long fast known as Ramadan.

Answer: Hibiscus

Karkade is certainly not native to Oman, people drink hibiscus teas all over the world. Karkade is often served at traditional wedding ceremonies and at other celebrations. Hibiscus teas are rich in minerals and vitamins which assist in the lowering of elevated blood pressures and reduces the risks of diabetes. Sometimes hibiscus tea is flavored with mint or lemon.

Answer: Dried meats

Maqdeed is specially dried meat which can be carried with the travelers which does not require refrigeration and can be stored for long periods of time. In addition to the maqdeed, these nomadic people will also carry other items that do not require cold storage or special handling. Nuts, fruits, berries and similar items are typically staples for these travelers.

Answer: Halwa

One of my favorite things to eat after supper is a treat called halwa. Halwa is a sweet food resembling a cross between jello and pudding. Almonds, pistachios or various fruits are sometimes put in halwa for flavoring.
The three incorrect answers are Arabic words for some common phrases in Arabic. Marhaban means hello, shukran means thank you and ahlan means welcome.