Caradamom-coffee break in a traditional Omani setting.

Travel

Photo story: the flavours of Oman's Ad Dakhiliyah region

If you head southwest from Muscat into Oman’s interior, you’ll find Ad Dakhiliyah, a jagged, mountainous region dotted with mud villages and luscious oases, where cardamom-infused coffee, soft dates and dark halwa are the sweet symbols of Omani hospitality.

Caradamom-coffee break in a traditional Omani setting at Alila Jabal Akhdar. Ad Dhakliyiah, Oman.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

Story and photographs byKarolina Wiercigroch

Published March 31, 2023

• 8 min read

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). 

The Western Al Hajar Mountains climb to around 9,780ft above sea level, creating a climate that’s made the area an important centre of agriculture.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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The Sayq Plateau and Al Jabal Al Akhdar — ‘the Green Mountain’ — are famed for verdant terrace fields, built around the ancient Aflaj irrigation canal. Here, local villagers grow juicy pomegranates and sweet-scented damask roses, whose petals are distilled into Oman’s celebrated rosewater, used for flavouring coffee.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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The menus at Juniper Restaurant at Alila Jabal Akhdar draw heavily on locally grown fruit, vegetables and beans. The cliffside restaurant takes inspiration from the majlis — the sitting rooms where Omanis gather for discussions, celebrations and entertaining.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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In Oman’s dessert interior, kahwa (coffee) is often enjoyed with platters of soft dates — and sometimes dipping bowls of homemade ghee or runny tahini.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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The oasis city of Nizwa is the largest in the interior and was once Oman’s capital. Its extensive souk was renovated in the 1990s to house stalls filled with fish, meat, spices, fruit, vegetables, frankincense and handicrafts such as local clay pottery, woven baskets, khanjars, silver jewellery and antiques.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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In parts of the region such as the mountain village of Misfat Al Abriyeen, abandoned mud-brick ancestral homes are being restored and repurposed as modern cafes with airy terraces or atmospheric heritage-type guest houses.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Al Aqur — a restaurant specialising in traditional Omani food — offers dining with views of the Nizwa Fort.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Harit Al Misfah Inn, in Misfat Al Abriyeen, offers stylish rooms and traditional Omani breakfast dishes. On the menu are fragrant dal, spice-cooked beans, crispy Omani bread and mandazi — soft doughnuts with coconut and cardamom, imported from Zanzibar.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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The Bait Al Safa museum occupies a traditional house in a 400-year-old builiding in Al Hamra. There skilful demonstrations of traditional bread-making and coffee roasting are held, and there’s also a small restaurant.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Nizwa’s East Souk is a warren of stalls offering cookware and farming tools as well as herbs and spices. There’s a separate area here for halwa, which is considered the national dessert of Oman.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Shamis Al Saifi, who recently took over his father’s business, Al-Saifi Halwa, uses Iranian saffron to make his halwa, alongside ground cardamom, ghee, walnuts and rosewater from Al Jabal Al Akhdar.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Nizwa Fort, one of Oman’s oldest and most significant castle.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

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Oman’s cuisine is influenced by its position at the crossroads of ancient trading routes. Warm Indian flavours, such as cinnamon, cumin and turmeric are combined with Zanzibari coconut, cloves and chillies, as well as crimson saffron threads from Iran and Omani loomi: an ancient spice made with preserved, sun-dried limes. Loomi is used to add a citrusy kick to teas and local dishes, like paplou (above) — a fragrant fish-and-turmeric soup.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Qabooli, a local rice and meat dish, is made by boiling chicken (or beef or lamb) with spices to create a rich stock, which is then used for cooking rice. Salim Alriyami, a hiking guide from Sayq, invites travellers to his home, where dishes are served on the floor of the guest majlis.

Photography by Karolina Wiercigroch

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Published in Issue 19 (spring 2023) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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