WYemeni cuisine is distinct from the wider Middle Eastern cuisines but with a degree of regional variation. Some foreign influences are evident in some regions of the country, the Yemeni kitchen is based on similar foundations across the country.
WArabic coffee is a version of the brewed coffee of Coffea arabica beans. Most Arab countries throughout the Middle East have developed distinct methods for brewing and preparing coffee. Cardamom is an often-added spice, but it can alternatively be served plain or with sugar.
WAsida is a dish with origins from medieval al-Andalus, made of a cooked wheat flour lump of dough, sometimes with added butter or honey. Similar in texture to gruel, it is eaten in many North African and Middle Eastern countries. It is considered one of the most popular desserts and traditional dishes in many Arab countries. Asida is particularly popular in Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, Somalia, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Indonesia. As most traditional foods of these countries, it is usually eaten by hand, without the use of utensils. Often served during religious holidays such as Mawlid and Eid, it is also served during other traditional ceremonies, for example accompanying the birth of child, such as the ‘aqīqah, the cutting of the hair of a newborn seven days after birth.
WBaladi cheese is a soft, white cheese originating in the Middle East. It has a mild yet rich flavor.
WFatoot is a group of Yemeni dishes based on shredded bread.
WFatoot samneh is a dish originating in Yemeni cuisine, consisting of pieces of saluf or malawach, or pita, that have been fried in clarified butter and combined with beaten egg. It is commonly served as a breakfast or dinner dish. It was brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews. It is somewhat similar to the Jewish matzah brei or the Mexican-American migas, which are made with matzo, and corn tortillas, respectively; whereas fatoot samneh is made with pita bread.
WFenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent where it is called methi. Also used in traditional medicine, fenugreek can increase the risk for serious medical side effects, though its culinary use is usually believed to be safe. Fenugreek is not approved or recommended for clinical use by any governmental health agency.
WFul medames, or simply fūl, is a stew of cooked fava beans served with vegetable oil, cumin, and optionally with chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, chili pepper and other vegetable, herb and spice ingredients. Ful medames are traditionally made in and served out of a large metal jug. It is notably a staple food in Egypt, especially in the northern cities of Cairo and Gizah. Ful medames is also a common part of the cuisines of many Arab, Middle Eastern and North African cultures.
WHalva refers to various local confection recipes in West Asia and its vicinity. The name is used for referring to a huge variety of confections, with the most geographically common variety based on fried semolina.
WHawaij, also spelled hawayej or hawayij, is a variety of Yemeni ground spice mixtures used primarily for soups and Yemeni coffee.
WHilbah, also spelled Holbah, is a condiment made from ground fenugreek seeds, and a traditional Yemeni food, now popularized among other cultures as well, especially by Yemenite Jews in Israel, who have introduced it to other ethnic groups. Hilbah greatly expands when added to water, and when whisked in a bowl it takes on a light, frothy texture. It is consumed almost everyday domestically in Yemen, and can be eaten by itself or added to Saltah and Fahsa. A dollop of Hilbah is often dished out of the larger batch and added to hot soup.
WJachnun or Jahnun is a Yemenite Jewish pastry, originating from the Adeni Jews, and traditionally served on Shabbat morning. Yemenite Jewish immigrants have popularized the dish in Israel.
WKa'ak or Kahqa is the common Arabic word for biscuit, and can refer to several different types of baked goods produced throughout the Arab world and the Near East. The bread, in Middle Eastern countries, is similar to a dry and hardened biscuit and mostly ring-shaped. This pastry is popular in Indonesia, and called as "kue kaak".
WKabsa is a mixed rice dish, served on a communal platter, that originates from Saudi Arabia but is commonly regarded as a national dish in countries of the Arabian peninsula.
WKhubz, alternatively spelled khoubz, khobez, khubez, or khubooz, is the word in Arabic for "bread". It may refer to any type of bread.
WKhubz mulawah, mulawah, or rashush is a Yemeni flatbread that is baked in a traditional tannur in Yemeni cuisine. A similar bread, malawach, has been brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews.
WKubaneh Hebrew: כֻּבַּאנֶה) is a traditional Yemenite Jewish bread that is popular in Israel similar to monkey bread. Kubaneh is traditionally baked overnight to be served for Shabbat morning accompanied by haminados, and resek avganiyot.
WLahoh, also laḥūḥ (Arabic: لحوح, is a spongy, pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia and the Horn of Africa. It is a type of flat bread eaten in Yemen and Somalia. It is called lahoh by people of Yemen, North Somalia and Djibouti, and canjeero or canjeelo by people of south Somalia and the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia or west Somalia.
WLibba', Laba is a type of Yemeni cheese. It is mostly eaten in rural areas of Yemen. The libba is not sold as a product or in restaurants.
WMalawach,, is a flatbread that is traditional in Yemenite Jewish cuisine in Israel. It was brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews. Malawach resembles a thick pancake but consists of thin layers of puff pastry brushed with oil or fat and cooked flat in a frying pan. It is traditionally served with hard-boiled eggs, zhug, and a crushed or grated tomato dip. Sometimes it is served with honey.
WMaluj or Malooga is a leavened Yemeni flatbread eaten with bean dishes, scrambled eggs, spiced buttermilk, and many other Yemeni savory dishes.
WMandi is a traditional dish that originated from Hadhramaut, Yemen, consisting mainly of meat and rice with a special blend of spices, cooked in a pit underground. It is extremely popular and prevalent in most areas of the Arabian Peninsula, and even considered a staple dish in many regions. It is also found in Egypt, the Levant, and Turkey.
WMurtabak is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand. Depending on the location, the name and ingredients can significantly vary. The name Mutabbaq in Arabic means "folded". It is a popular street food in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
WNaqe'e Al Zabib is a Yemeni beverage. It is a cold drink containing raisins.
WNasi kebuli is an Indonesian variation of pilaf. It consists of rice cooked in goat meat broth, goat milk, and clarified butter. It is popular among the Arab community in Indonesia and Betawi people in Jakarta. Nasi kebuli was influenced by Arab culture and its origin can be traced to Middle eastern cuisine, especially Yemeni Arabian influence, Indian cuisine influence, and Afghan influence.
WQishr is a Yemeni traditional hot drink made of spiced coffee husks, ginger, and sometimes cinnamon. In Yemen, it is usually drunk instead of coffee because it doesn't need to be roasted.
WQuzi, also spelled as qoozi or ghoozi, is a rice-based dish popular in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. It is served with very slowly cooked lamb, roasted nuts, raisins and served over rice. It is considered one of Iraq's national dishes and was introduced into Turkey by Syrian immigrants.
WShafoot also known as shafuta, is a traditional and a very popular appetizer food in Yemen. It is typically made of lahoh or shredded bread, "Hakeen" or Yogurt, Zhug and Leek. Shafoot is served cold as it is kept in the fridge after mixing its ingredients for some time so that the lahoh absorbs the liquid added into it. It is widely spread in the North part of Yemen, especially during the month of Ramadan.
WSmen is a salted, fermented butter, and a traditional Yemeni dish. In Yemen, Yemenis prepare a special version of semneh (سمنة) which is smoked with aromatic herbs inside of a gourd in order to impart deeper flavour and aid in preservation. However, smen is also an important ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine and North African cooking. It is produced using the butter made from the milk of sheep, goats or a combination of the two. The butter is brought to its boiling point for about 15 minutes, then skimmed, strained into a ceramic jar called a khabia, and salted before it curdles. Some have it as a practice to add roasted fenugreek seeds to the boiling butter, after which it is strained from the fenugreek seeds. Thyme is often added to it to provide a yeast and enzyme starter. Other plants or fruits can be used. The result is then aged, often in sealed containers. It is then traditionally buried in the ground for temperature stability purposes, just like cheese is left to mature in caves because they have cooler and more stable temperatures.
WTaboon bread is Levantine flatbread baked in a taboon or tannur 'tandoor' clay oven, similar to the various tandoor breads found in many parts of Asia. It is used as a base or wrap in many cuisines, and eaten with different accompaniments.
WWhite coffee can refer to any of a number of different kinds of coffees or coffee substitutes worldwide.
WYemeni cheese also known as Taiz cheese and known in Yemen as "local cheese", is a type of Yemeni cheese that is produced in rural areas of Yemen most famously in Taiz Governorate which is why it is known as Taizz cheese although other local names are given based on the region or the village the cheese was produced. Visitors to Taiz city usually buy the Taiz cheese in al-Bab al-Kabeer and Bab Musa markets as gifts for their families. The production of the Taiz cheese has not been affected by the production of processed cheese because most Yemenis still prefer the local cheese.
WZalabiyeh is a fritter or doughnut found in several cuisines across the Middle East and West Asia. The fritter version, similar to jalebi and funnel cake, is made from a semi-thin batter of wheat flour which is poured into hot oil and deep-fried. The earliest known recipe for the dish comes from a 10th-century Arabic cookbook and is made by pouring the batter through a coconut shell. Zalabiyeh is also the Arabic language term used by Mizrahi Jews for a deep-fried yeast dough, often topped with either honey or syrup, and known as burmuelos in Ladino. for sweetness.
WZhug, sahawiq or bisbas (بسباس) is a hot sauce originating in Yemeni cuisine. In other countries of the Arabian Peninsula it is also called mabboj.