Yemeni

What it is

Yemeni cuisine is the oldest continuous food culture on the Arabian peninsula. From the port of Mocha came the world’s first widely traded coffee; the highlands fed an agricultural society that survives in family recipes still cooked daily. The country’s diaspora — especially in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — carried its dishes into the wider Arab world.

How it tastes

Yemeni food is smokier and more fenugreek-driven than other Arab cuisines. Zhug, a punchy green chili paste, adds heat; hilbeh, whipped fenugreek seed, adds the cuisine’s signature bitter-savory foam. Slow-roasted lamb tastes of the underground pit it cooked in.

Signature dishes & techniques

Mandi — lamb roasted in an underground tannour over spice-rubbed rice — is the country’s most-loved festive plate. Saltah, a bubbling stew topped with hilbeh and served in a scorching stone bowl, is the lunchtime king. Bint al-sahn, paper-thin honey pastry, closes most special meals.