Food & Drink

Indian and Chinese cuisine served in restaurants. Elsewhere the food is typically Arabic, and haradha (a mince-meat and pepper dish) is a speciality. Seafood is also to be recommended.

Although each region has their own variation, saltah is considered the national dish. The base is a brown meat stew of Turkish origin called maraq, 3which is added to some fenugreek and sahawiq (or sahowqa) - a mixture of chillies, tomatoes, garlic and herbs ground into a salsa. Saltah is often accompanied by rice, potatoes, scrambled eggs and vegetables. It is eaten with flat bread, which serves as a utensil to scoop up the food. Flat bread is usually baked at home in a tandoor called taboon.

Alcohol is available in hotels only. Although coffee is extensively cultivated in Yemen, black tea is the drink of choice. Tea is consumed along with breakfast, after lunch (occasionally with sweets and pastries), and along with dinner. Popular flavorings include cloves with cardamom and mint. A drink made from coffee husks called qishr is also enjoyed.