country Essentials · 11 foods
Kuwait Essentials
A considered first route through Kuwait: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Kuwait foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
11 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Kuwait
Mutabbaq Samak
مطبق سمك
Whole fish is laid over spiced rice in Kuwait’s fish-centred Mutabbaq Samak.
Kuwait
Machboos Laham
مجبوس لحم
Lamb broth seasons the rice before the browned meat is placed on top in Machboos Laham.
Kuwait
Marabyan
مربين
Shrimp, rice, and warm spices make Marabyan a recognisable Kuwaiti coastal plate.
Kuwait
Mumawwash
مموش
Dill, mung beans, and dried shrimp give the Kuwaiti rice dish Mumawwash its signature flavour.
Bahrain
Muhammar
محمر
Sweetened rice cooked with dates or sugar accompanies savoury dishes in Muhammar.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Margoog
مرقوق
Hand-torn dough and vegetables simmer with meat in the Kuwaiti stew Margoog.
United Arab Emirates
Daqoos
دقوس
A sharp tomato-and-chilli sauce called Daqoos cuts through rich Kuwaiti rice dishes.
Kuwait
Gers Ogaily
قرص عقيلي
Saffron and cardamom scent the ring-shaped Kuwaiti cake Gers Ogaily.
Kuwait
Bajella
باجلا
Fava beans cooked with oil and aromatics form the breakfast dish Bajella.
Kuwait
Nakhi
نخي
Warm chickpeas with spices and lemon are sold as the Kuwaiti street snack Nakhi.
United Arab Emirates
Karak Chai
كارك تشاي
Strong sweet milk tea with cardamom is a daily Kuwaiti café drink.