Food

Main article: Cuisine of United Arab Emirates

See also: Arab cuisine

The traditional food of the Emirates has always been rice, fish, and meat. The people of the United Arab Emirates have adopted most of their foods from the surrounding countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Seafood has been the mainstay of the Emirati diet for centuries. Meat and rice are other staple foods; lamb and mutton are the more favored meats, then goat and beef. Popular beverages are coffee and tea, which can be supplemented with cardamom, saffron, or mint to give them a distinct flavor.^[144]
Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, so it is not included in local menus. Hotels frequently have pork substitutes such as beef sausages and veal rashers on their breakfast menus. If pork is available, it is clearly labeled as such.
Alcohol is generally only served in hotel restaurants and bars (but not in Sharjah). All nightclubs and golf clubs are permitted to sell alcohol. Specific supermarkets may sell alcohol and pork, but these products are sold in separate sections.^[145]

Traditional Emirati Tea

Dishes forming part of the Emirati cuisine:^[146]

Machboos Harees Lukaimat Batheeth Khamir Al-Madrooba Al-Saloona (Curry) Fareed

Al-Khabeesah Al-Khanfaroosh Raqaq (flat) Al Jabab