A good method to gauge a region’s culinary prowess is to try some of its street food. The culinary riches of the United Arab Emirates, notably its street cuisine, are the UAE’s gift to the world. It is possible to argue that you get what you pay for, but street food in the United Arab Emirates is one of the exceptions.
It’s not only very affordable, but it’s also creative, filling, and downright delectable. So, if you’re in Abu Dhabi and you’re hungry, but you don’t have time to cook, here are some of the best street foods in Abu Dhabi. But, let’s have a look first at how to reach Abu Dhabi.
What’s the best way to get there?
Travelers may fly into Abu Dhabi International Airport, the UAE’s second busiest after Dubai International Airport, to get to Abu Dhabi quickly and easily. Gulf Air flights fly to Abu Dhabi on daily basis from various parts of the world. You can book your Abu Dhabi tickets from Gulf Air at the most reasonable prices.
Best foods to try
- Madrooba
“Madrooba” is the name given to this meal because of the enormous wooden spoon used to cook it. Foods made from “maleh” (salt-cured fish) in an awe-inspiring array of Emirati sauces and spices, the Madrooba is an immensely popular meal during Ramadan and other celebrations as well. The recipe is labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring the use of the aforementioned spoon to beat the batter into a thick consistency. “Raqaq” is the flatbread used to enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth comfort food. Yum!
- Samboosa
The Samboosa is the best Emirati street food in Abu Dhabi because it’s so addictively crunchy! Triangular-shaped pastries packed with luscious spices, vegetables, and meats are the Emirati version of the famed Indian snack “Samosa,” whose roots date back to Central Asia. Beef mince, lamb, chicken, and even peas & potatoes for vegans are all meat options. The crispy Samboosa is a city snack staple, and it can be packed up and eaten on day excursions or lengthy car drives across the stunning Abu Dhabi.
- Harees
Harees, or Al Harees, is one of the UAE’s most traditional foods and is prepared with wheat, pork, and salt. When it comes to Harees, it’s probably the process of making it that is the most memorable component. Before adding the meat, the ground wheat with salt is boiled thoroughly in a saucepan. The combination is then simmered for many hours. An earth-filled hole is dug, and the clay pot holding the mixture is put in it. Before being served with ghee (clarified butter), the mixture is stirred for many hours with a special wooden spoon called “midrib.”
- Shawarma
Emirati cuisine is renowned for its succulent, juicy meats, soggy fries, and ample portions of hummus/garlicky yogurt sauce all wrapped up in unleavened Lebanese bread, making it a must-eat meal for anybody visiting the country. Simple but ferocious, Shawarma is a street food that the Avengers made famous following their heroic deeds in the movie. This delectable, well-seasoned wrap will leave you all but silent as you devour it. The best time to get shawarmas is about 6 p.m., when most vendors start selling them.
- Fareed Tharid
Fareed’s wonderful lamb stew, also known as Thareed or Tharid in certain dialects, is a popular street cuisine in Abu Dhabi and a staple of the city’s iftar feasts. There’s a lot of flavor in this stew thanks to the lamb or goat meat and marrow plus a slew of veggies like pumpkin, tomatoes, and potatoes that boil for hours in the stew pot.
Thick Reqaq flatbread, the most frequent Emritai flatbread, is served with the stew. At the bottom, a lovely pasta-like layer is created by the bread’s absorption of the stew. Chickpeas are occasionally added to conventional beef broth, but there is also a vegetarian variant that does not involve meat.
- Manakkish
In addition to being a popular snack in Lebanon, Manakkish might be considered an Emirati pizza. As the name suggests, this wonderful roadside cuisine consists of a huge circular flatbread, which is topped with a generous amount of cheese, as well as a variety of veggies and meats, then baked in an oven.
There are a variety of meat toppings to pick from, including lamb, beef, and chicken, as well as a variety of vegetable toppings for those who are vegetarians. Add some thyme and olive oil to finish the meal, and then dig in to the most delicious street food you’ve ever had.