Saudi cuisine is a large painting on which Saudi history and culture can be read, where food is most full of geography, tradition, and social habit. Dominant in food is the use of pungent spices such as cardamom, saffron, and cumin from which to develop communal flavor in the stews, rice dishes, and roasted flesh of the Kingdom. They are not just delicious, but that of tradition and nationhood as well. Dish in the Arabian world is social ritual and life. Traditional dinner fare is still the hub of Saudi society reaffirming family and social identity. Hospitality it provides is typically depicted in greeting by extending dates and qahwa or Arabic coffee as a gesture of greeting and hospitality. Food preparation and service are symptomatic of culture, historically of inter-generational origin, and historically family or geographic origin food.
Saudi regional identity best explained in culinary language. Western Hijaz province, where in the case of Kabsa—a rice with spices—traditionally made in either fish, chicken, or lamb—regional variation is expressed, infamous for being strong-smelling and multi-step preparation. Central region, however, boasts such dishes as Jareesh, wheat porridge ground meat cooked, reminding one of country’s pasturage past and more traditional method of preparation.
Saudi food cultural heritage also borrowed in the case of Ottoman, as in the case of the food dish like shawarma. Everywhere these days in modern times on every corner street of major cities, shawarma, rolled meat with vegetable-marinated put under flatbread in wrap style, demonstrates how food externalities diffuse and then are localized after some time.
Religious and celebratory cultural function is also preserving food culture. Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr foods in festivals are followed by some foods. Maamoul is a date cookie, and it is prepared and consumed during celebrative events and symbolizes joy and being together and generation continuity. Consuming and sharing food in being together at this moment in order to share reunions at homes is an expression of social solidarity as well as cultural continuity.
Saudi food is food with a history—migrations, survival, and adaptation. Every meal is a witness to the country’s past, geography, and culture. Hot warm stews narrate the country’s story in the land of agriculture and commerce, and sweets and festive foods are more than ingredients.
Saudi modernization has made its aspect of cuisine an emergent site of identity. On the plane of culinary heritage, the Kingdom is weaving a sensual fabric interpenetrating past and present and marking its aspect of identity in hospitality, diversity, and continuity.
