Traditional food combos to inspire you this month.

Wadma, Limes and Rocca

Wadma is made using a young fish dried and crushed. Then you drench it in some lime juice, toss it with a bunch of arugula and you have yourself a classic combo that tastes simply delicious.

Dates and Tahina

Sharqawis can’t survive without their dates, most especially when you need to break fast. If you haven’t tried this yet, put a little bowl of tahina to dip your dates in. Pair it with a piping hot cup of Arabic coffee and you’re good to go.

Tea and Luqah

The mix of red tea and luqah water – which is the liquid from distilled teltal (basically palm tree flowers) – is beloved by all Sharqawis for its distinct flavor and endless benefits.

Khubz Ahmar and Cheese

This traditional bread that’s mainly made of dates and whole-wheat flour was reintroduced when bakers in Sharqiya (Al Ahsa specifically) started stuffing it with cream cheese. We tell, we show and you judge!

Lumi (Fermented Limes) and Harees Soup

We all love our harees soup a bit sour, but if you haven’t tried it with the Hasawi original lumi juice, then you’re missing out! In Al Ahsa, lumi is traditionally made from lime juice mixed with black pepper and left out in the sun until fermented. The sour and slightly spicy flavor of this lumi hares soup is a particular favorite of mine.

Jameed (Lime Molasses) and Kabsa

I always loved a good kabsa (who doesn’t?) but then my grandmother introduced me to kabsa mixed with jameed and I just can’t go back now. This is another traditional combo from Al Ahsa: you add about a tablespoon of jameed (lime molasses) and a few spoons of sugar to around 3-4 cups of kabsa. Add water to adjust the sourness to your taste.