A quick taste of the food culture in Qatar  

Machboos, kottu roti, teppanyaki, osso buco, tabbouleh, biriyani, fish and chips … there’s a smorgasbord of tastes when it comes to food in Qatar, thanks to its multi-cultural population.

But it is not just this wonderful opportunity to eat your way around the world without even leaving Qatar’s capital of Doha that is special. (Yes, you can do this! Ask me, and my growing waistline!)

The food culture

It is also the general food culture in Qatar.

It’s the overall collection of rituals, values, habits and practices around food – a culture that is far removed from my own and possibly yours.

This includes, but is not limited to:  

• The sheer variety (types of food, availability, costs, venues etc)
• The eating rhythms
• The convenience of deliveries
• Brunches and other specials on offer, and
• Food markets and exhibitions

In fact, Doha’s reputation as a foodie destination with its rich international flavours is gaining ground. 

But before I get going, a little background …

Debbie’s food past

Relax if you were not salivating after the opening paragraph because you had no idea about the likes of machboos (an Arabic dish of spiced rice and roasted chicken), kottu roti (a Sri Lankan tamil dish with roti and meat curry and sometimes even scrambled eggs) and teppanyaki (a popular Japanese dish).

You are not alone.

I was raised on bangers and mash in the United Kingdom. Even in the early days of living in South Africa, food proved a challenge. I mean, I could barely pronounce boerewors, koeksisters, bobotie or potjiekos, let alone stomach the foreignness of them all.

Thankfully, my bland British palate adapted.

Today, my taste buds are under friendly food assault again. But it is self-inflicted.

This time, bite by bite, I am on a mission to try cuisine from around the world – because I can. Doha makes this possible.

Debbie’s dining disclaimer

Anyway, enough waffle (pun intended). Here is my disclaimer: I am no food guru.

I make no special claim as to gastronomic greatness. I eat to live but, yes, occasionally, I live to eat. And, who wouldn’t, when faced with such opportunities? 

Anyway, just so we’re on the same page, this post is but a layman’s observations as to the business of eating in Qatar. This is with reference to the 3 million peeps who live here and the 6 million who visit Qatar annually. Most of the latter come via Qatar’s award-winning airport, Hamad International.

This post is just a nibble, an appetizer of sorts, as to the country’s food culture.

If you want to know about what’s hot, then please check out the reviews of Qatar food bloggers, like Nabeel Arakkakatil Nasar and Rachel Ann Morris.

Variety on steroids

The variety can be measured in terms of the following:

• Multi-cultural choices

One of the first impressions about Qatar is its multi-cultural population. People of different hues, cultures, religious and dress, all live (and eat) here. As such, we get to enjoy their cuisine.

• Eating places

The variety also extends to the places in which to find food. These are the restaurants, fast food outlets, supermarkets that have special ethnic sections, street food venues, delivery services and in people’s homes. 

I believe Qatar has about 2757 restaurants which, according to newspaper reports, is a 3.4% increase on the previous year.

• Budgets

And, finally, these choices extend to all budgets … though obviously the bigger your wallet, the greater your access to what is on offer.  I have to be honest, Qatar is an expensive country.

Food from around the world

You name the country and there is undoubtedly a restaurant run by its own countrymen. All, however, will have a Qatari partner. Without the latter, you are not able to trade. The same ruling is applicable for every business in Qatar, albeit that changes to these laws are in process.

Apart from an array of restaurants from the Levant, there is a glut of Indian eating houses and a wonderful mix of foreign offerings at the 51 international hotels in Qatar.

At the risk of appearing gluttonous or boastful, we’ve feasted on food from more than 25 countries to date. To be fair, most of our sampling happens outside of upmarket restaurants with their eye-watering prices.  

You can eat or sample this food as follows:

• Street food

There are dedicated street food spots across Qatar, like Tasty Street at Katara, the Lusail night market and Box Park at the new Doha old port.

At some of these places, motorists pull up in their Land Cruisers where staff take orders, and pop back minutes later with the requested items. It’s a bit like Gqeberha’s Red Windmill Roadhouse of yesteryear when you had to “flick your lights for service”. Here, they hoot.

In our experience, street food is fresh and reasonably priced.

• Exhibitions

With the country on a sustainability drive, we take full advantage of the ongoing agricultural exhibitions to sample the local fare. Dates, honey, sweets, fruit, vegetables, Qatari food, coffee, chocolate … we have munched on them all.

• Church

In South Africa, we call it bring and share. Here, it’s called pot luck. The results are the same – a feast made by many to allow for a wonderful sampling of each other’s cuisine.

We do this at various church events, but we also taste something from a different country at tea after the service each Friday (Friday is our Sunday).

• Friendly cooking lessons

Potluck lunches with new friends who come from India, China, Singapore, South Africa, Russia and Peru, sometimes also extends to lunches or teas … and even the odd cookery lesson.

These lessons are free and so much fun.

• Events

Regardless of the event, there’s no skimping on eats and drinks. Be it a talk at a university, a reception at an embassy or the launch of a new product, there is always something new to try. All such foods are labelled.

Brunches and other specials

Staying with fun, hugely popular in Qatar are the eat-all, drink-all brunches. The drink-all part differs dramatically in price between the drink options. These brunches are hosted by international hotels where alcohol is served but elsewhere it is haram or forbidden.

There are set hours for brunches, just as there is for happy hour – usually the discounted price for drinks and even food lasts several hours – and other specials.

These specials and others besides are advertised on various apps to attract customers.

Also popular in Qatar are the discounts that some company employees receive for various venues. It is consoling to know the fish and chips that originally cost QAR90 (that’s R450) will now cost QAR63 (about R300), because of your friend’s discount privileges.   

These marketing ploys work. I mean one venue, the Londoner, is now offering your age as a discount on certain items!

Time to eat

Our eating clock is out of alignment with that of the Middle East. Here people tend to eat and sleep later (it’s a weather thing).

You won’t find many breakfast places open before 9am, but you will still find coffee shops and restaurants in the popular spots still going strong at midnight.

And, of course, during the holy month of Ramadan, the filling of tummies happens during suhoor (before the time of fasting) and at Iftar, when the sun has set for the day, and the fast is broken.

Some restaurants, coffee shops and street food kiosks close for the summer period. Again, it’s that heat.

In addition, the country has a burgeoning take-away delivery business, many of which operate 24/7.

Deliveries

Ordering online and “in” is part of the culture on the Qatar food scene.

There are umpteen delivery services for both groceries, fast food and restaurant meals thanks to “the Talabat tribe” – the men and women who risk life and limb in getting your goodies to you.

Snoonu (a Qatar-owned company), Talabat, Rafeeq and Deliveroo are among those who have grown the delivery business to an expected US$638.40m this year, from the US$171.02m in 2015.

This is a first-world, fast-paced environment where folk love technology-based convenience – including delivery of their favourite foods.

Food brands

As shared, those tasty favourites (bar pork which is considered “haram”) are available from the city’s supermarkets, fast food outlets and restaurants.

This includes international brands like Starbucks, McDonalds, Cheese Factory, Applebees and our own South African-Portuguese franchise Nandos.  The latter is hugely popular.

Then there are the local brands that we have come to enjoy too, like Tea Time, which is just being franchised internationally.

Another staple in Qatar is Turkey Central, a fast food business that specializes in grilled Turkish food on a large scale and at a reasonable price. It’s not quite a braai, but a barbecue Turkiye style.

Can I have some more …

In response to the words of Oliver Twist, from the musical of same name, the answer is yes.

I have literally just skimmed the surface when it comes to food in Qatar. Each of the sections shared is a post in its own right.

There is so much more to tell about the joys of intercultural eating, curry clubs, hunting for truffles in the desert, bargaining for food from the fresh produce market, ordering South African goodies or baking for cell group, attending a harouf lunch and others …

With the hors d’oeuvres served for now, I’ll work on future food posts.  

But if you have any questions or special requests in the interim, please dish them up and send them my way.