"Saudi Arabia's national dish: basmati rice cooked in a spiced meat broth with dried black lime and saffron. Eaten from a communal platter by hand."
About Kabsa
Saudi Arabia's national dish and the Arabian Peninsula's greatest rice preparation: long-grain basmati rice slow-cooked in a broth of chicken or lamb with tomato, whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black lime) and saffron until each grain is separate and fragrant; the meat is placed on top; served on a communal platter and eaten by hand as a gesture of hospitality.
Kabsa, a staple of Saudi Arabia's cuisine
Saudi Arabia's National Dish
Kabsa is Saudi Arabia's national dish, a fragrant one-pot of long-grain basmati rice cooked in a spiced broth of chicken or lamb, with the meat served on top. Whole spices, tomato and saffron flavour the rice until each grain is separate and aromatic. It is served on a large communal platter and eaten by hand.
The Dried Lime
The flavour that makes kabsa distinctly of the Gulf is loomi, dried black lime, whose tangy, slightly fermented citrus note runs through the broth. It is quite unlike fresh lime and cannot be substituted without losing the character of the dish. A few dried limes transform the whole pot.
The Rice and Meat
The technique is to cook the meat first into a deeply spiced broth, then cook the rice in that liquid so every grain absorbs its flavour and colour. Saffron tints parts of the rice gold, and the meat, chicken, lamb or sometimes camel, is laid on top, often crisped at the end. Toasted nuts and fried onion finish the platter.
A Dish for Sharing
Kabsa is the clearest expression of Saudi hospitality, mounded on a single round platter for the whole table to share, eaten from the section in front of each diner with the right hand. The rice is pressed into a small ball before it is eaten. Generous and communal, it is the centrepiece of gatherings across the country.
What to Expect
The kabsa arrives on a large round platter, the rice mounded and the meat arranged on top. Diners eat from the section in front of them with their right hand, pressing rice into a ball before eating.
Why Try It
Kabsa is the clearest expression of Saudi hospitality culture: the communal platter, eaten by hand, in a meal designed for sharing.
✦ Photo Gallery
Insider Tips
Use the right hand only, since the left hand is not used for eating in Saudi tradition.
The dried black lime (loomi) is the essential flavour. It cannot be substituted.
Al Baik in Jeddah serves a reliable version of the chicken kabsa at affordable prices.
