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going places october 2014
food trail
Sweet
Traditional feasts, inventive concepts and delightful sweets form Muscat’s greatest gastronomy finds
Indulgence Text Tatyana Leonov Photos Daniel Whitfield
A
rriving at an Omani home is like no other experience. Wherever you might be in this remarkably beautiful country, there’s one fundamental constant – coffee (kahwa) and dates. This mandatory welcome snack offers an insight into the nation’s philosophy: Omanis are incredibly hospitable and want to share their culture with the world. Luckily, food is a focal part of this. Fortunately for this sugarloving nation, an excess of local treats can be found everywhere. Mosques often have rooms stocked with dates, while in marketplaces, vendors come prepared to share. It’s not unusual for a souk to have a central meeting spot with communal sweets that any passer-by is
welcome to enjoy. Sharing is a big part of Omani culture and extends beyond food and drink. Oman only opened up to Westerners in 1993; today, travelling to this exotic land still offers an incomparable experience. The capital, Muscat, is the first port of call for most, with flabbergasting sights. There’s the magnificent Al Alam Palace with blue and golden pillars that glisten in the afternoon sun, the stately Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque with its elaborate interior that includes the world’s second-largest handloomed Iranian carpet (it took 600 women four years to weave the 70 x 60 metre masterpiece), and the chaotic and pulsating Muttrah Souk, where it’s easy to roam for hours stocking up on all sorts of foodie delights.