4. Luqaimat

Next up, another sweet dish! Luqaimat is a Qatari dessert that never fails to satisfy a sweet tooth. These beauties are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Think of them as doughnut balls, except they’re deep fried, dipped in sweet syrup, flavored with saffron and hail, which, as we learned above, is Arabic for good old cardamom, and are often sprinkled with sesame seeds to add even more richness to the flavor.

5. Kunafa

Now this dish is one we are sure you must have heard of, but here in Qatar, kunafa is a BIG deal! The people of Qatar rarely have any event or gathering without serving kunafa. It is a multi-purpose dish that is eaten on many occasions; weddings, funerals, bridal showers, during Ramadan, for breakfast, for a picnic… you name it!

Just in case you haven’t tried it, it is very sweet and comes in a soft version, known as kunafa naa’ma, and in a harder version, known as kunafa kheshna. Kheshna is crunchier than naa’ma, but both are absolute heaven!

6. Shawarma

Now shawarma is a common dish in the Middle East and has gotten popular worldwide, but here in Qatar, it is made with a little extra effort and love.

The people of Qatar took the idea of shawarma and applied it to a more creative variety of ingredients. Here, the options go far beyond simple chicken or beef. They extend to shawarma fish and shawarma shrimp.

And the beauty of it is that you can find so many different types and styles of shawarma, such as Turkish, Lebanese, and even Indian-styled shawarma. The rush of flavors always keeps you coming back for more!