This week we are learning about Qatar. Qatar is a small sovereign nation located on a peninsula that extends into the Persian Gulf. The small Qatar Peninsula lies on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait in the Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island kingdom of Bahrain. Despite its size, Qatar is a very impressive country. It is the world's richest country per capita and has the highest human development in the Arab World. Qatar is also home to USA's biggest military base in the Middle East. This oil-rich nation, under British protection until 1971, chose not to join the United Arab Emirates.
The history of Qatar is intertwined with those of both Bahrain and United Arab Emirates. These small countries on the western shore of the Persian Gulf became rich from oil and gas during the 20th century. Prior to the discovery of oil, Qatar was mostly known for Pear Hunting. The long history of trade has made the cuisine absorb influences from cultures like the Persian and the Indian. It has experienced a tremendous influx of immigration from countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines as well as other Arab countries; only about 20 % of the population are Qatari. This has shaped the modern day Qatari cuisine greatly.
Islam is the dominant religion in Qatar. Islam has not only been important with its restrictions on what to it and how, the cultural exchange between Arab Muslim countries has always been considerable; Hence can some of the more popular foods like shawarma and falafel be found almost all over the Middle East. Lamb and chicken are the most common meats. Camel meat is eaten but mostly on special occasions, the milk has been in more ample use. Dairy products like yogurt and cheese are processed from cow, goat and sheep milk. The typical meal would be a one-pot meat and vegetable stew served with some bread and rice. Fish and seafood provided in abundance by the Persian Gulf are also common ingredients in Qatari food recipes. Just like in most parts of the Middle East, bulgur (a kind of hulled whole wheat) often replaces or complements rice, wheat flour is most commonly used for bread. Vegetables like onion, garlic, okra, tomato, bell pepper and eggplant are found in many Qatari dishes. So are legumes and beans such as chickpeas and lentils The same range of spices and herbs so popular in other countries of the region are also so in Qatar: Saffron, black pepper, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon are examples. Dried fruits like sour plums, lemons and dates are traditional, so is the addition of rose water and lemon juice to many recipes. The food is flavorful and at times a bit spicy.
Given that this week also happens to Fall during the month of Ramadan, the holiest of months for Muslims, we chose to cook a very common dessert eaten by most Qataris for Iftar (after sunset meal) during Ramadan. Luqaimat(also spelled Lgeimat) is a fried dough ball this has many variations throughout the middle east as well as Western Europe. The Greeks have their own version called Loukamades. The etymology of this dish is Turkish in origin. "Lokma" means "mouthful" or "morsel". While I have enjoyed the Greek version which is traditionally covered in honey syrup, I have never tried the Qatari version. Traditionally Luqaimat in Qatar are prepared with the finest Persian Saffron and Cardamom. The dough is prepared by mixing Flour, Baking Soda, Water, Plain Greek Yogurt, Baking powder, Sugar, and Water. The Saffron and Cardamom are added to the flour mixture which infuses the most beautiful aroma ever. The syrup is traditionally made with Dates, which is one of Qatar's greatest food exports. I was very hesitant to try this dish as I am not a very proficient baker at all. Too much emphasis on precise measurements and following directions to a tee. Not exactly my style of cooking which is much more spontaneous and experimental in nature. My eldest daughter really loves doughnuts and as soon as I told her the options for this week, she begged me to cook this. So off the three of us went to our local grocer to pick up our saffron and cardamom pods. Although we were unable to find Persian Saffron, we did find Spanish. Saffron and Cardamom are some of my favorite cooking staples, so I often run out of both on a monthly basis. I was delighted that our Luqaimat turned out pretty spot on! They were crunchy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. The girls loved them. Instead of doing the traditional date syrup, I made a simple sugar syrup infused with our Lebanese Orange Blossom water and a touch of honey. What a treat! I do not have much of a sweet tooth myself, so one was plenty. Our neighbors gladly accepted our gift of Luqaimat are were delighted to have them for their first day of Ramadan.
Here is the recipe we used for our Luqaimat:
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Lgeimat-Saffron-Flavored-Fritters
FUN FACTS ABOUT QATAR
-Literacy Rate of 89%
-World's Wealthiest Country per Capita
-Doha, the capital of Qatar, once was a fishing village, where pearl fishers were looking for their fortunes.
-Currency is the Qatari Rihal
-Qatar will host the Soccer World Cup 2022
-Qatar being a Muslim country, has a different working week than we know it. The week runs from Sundays to Thursdays, as their shops are usually closed on Fridays and Saturdays.
-Shops are usually open in the morning until noon and then close for a long lunch break and only open in the late afternoon again.
-In 1971, Qatar was to join the other emirates of the Trucial Coast to become part of the United Arab Emirates. But both Qatar and Bahrain decided against the merger and instead formed independent nations.
-Qatar permitted the international forces to use Qatar as a base during the 1991 Persian Gulf War
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