The region of Tabuk is a converging point of multiple cultures, resulting in a cuisine that is heavily influenced by its neighboring nations as well as the use of ingredients unique to its topography.
On a typical Tabuki table, you’ll find seafood served alongside platters from the Levant region. The cuisine shifts its offerings to suit the weather, with locals finding a balance between their love of fresh seaside flavors and meat dishes that give warmth in winter months. While this may be the case, there are mainstay classics that you’ll find whenever you’re in town.
Showcasing their close culinary ties with Jordan, shrak, alrashoof, and mansaf are considered staples in the Tabuk region. Mansaf consists of a type of flatbread, meat, rice, and the main ingredient, jameed: aged and dried milk.
There is a communal aspect to dining in Saudi Arabia, with most dishes served for sharing. Magloba is one such dish featured on a Tabuki spread, which consists of rice cooked either with meat or chicken and vegetables such as eggplant and cauliflower.
The cold climate of Tabuk makes for a winter table that is both hearty and comforting, featuring dishes such as mafruka or jamariah, which provide warmth and energy. It is uniquely prepared by kneading flour with water and forming it in a circular disk and buried under hot charcoal to cook. It is then cut into small pieces and mixed by hand with dates or honey and ghee.
Tabuk region is also rich with seafood dishes for its coastal presence and the most famous of these is the siyadiah.
The port of Yanbu, just a few hours’ drive west of Medina, is really two distinct cities: the new city to the south, with its oil refineries and plants, and the old town to the north, an ancient spice route staging post where T.E. Lawrence lived.
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