AlUla travel guide

Kabsa (national dish)

Saudi Arabia's defining dish — fragrant long-grain rice cooked in a rich broth with tomatoes, onion and a unique blend of spices (the kabsa mix includes black lime, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and dried lemon), topped with a whole slow-roasted lamb, chicken or camel; garnished with raisins, almonds and pine nuts; eaten communally from a large platter by hand or with spoon

Jareesh

The ancient grain dish of the Arabian Peninsula — crushed wheat grain slow-cooked for hours with camel milk or broth until thick and creamy, seasoned with cardamom and saffron; the traditional food of the Hejaz region; available at AlUla's heritage restaurants

Saudi dates (Medjool and Sukkari)

The Hejaz region produces Arabia's finest dates — Sukkari variety from Al-Qassim (soft, extremely sweet, pale gold) and Medjool (larger, caramel-rich); dates are served at every meal beginning with breakfast; the Prophet Muhammad's tradition of breaking fast with dates is central to Saudi food culture

Mutabbaq (stuffed pancake)

AlUla's street food — a large thin pastry folded around a filling of minced meat, eggs, onion and spices, pan-fried; available from evening stalls in the souk area; the name means 'folded' in Arabic