Saudi Gazette report

Kabsa is the Kingdom’s national dish that is made up of a mixture of rice, spices and meat. For many Saudi families, kabsa is a main dish that must be served on the lunch table every day, a practice nutritionists frown up on due to its high fat content.



In Ramadan, many Saudi families have kabsa for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal consumed before fasting begins, and health experts say starting the day off with such a heavy meal can have negative health effects.



Al-Riyadh daily spoke to a number of Saudis in an effort to find out what they find so appealing about the dish.



Um Abdulaziz cooks kabsa every day during Ramadan for suhoor as it is her family’s favorite dish. She said the rice and meat dish could not be served for iftar because iftar has its own special menu that everyone waits an entire year to have.



“The men in my family want kabsa because they are used to having it for lunch every day throughout the rest of the year. There are many different types of kabsa depending on the occasion it is made for. A very popular kind is called ‘ghathar’ and it is served with fresh yogurt and watercress. To save time, many housewives cook kabsa in a pressure cooker as this allows them to enjoy the meal multiple times a month,” she explained.



Saad Abdullah believes kabsa is the best dish one can have for suhoor because it is a nutrient-rich and traditional dish that can be served at any time. “It has a lot of childhood memories for me and I find it filling in a way that no other dish can be,” he said while admitting that women are not as fond of the dish as men are.



“My sister doesn’t like that kabsa is the only dish we focus on during Ramadan.”



A light suhoor



When Rihab Mufrih’s husband told her he was going to have kabsa for suhoor at a friend’s house, she was relieved because she prefers light meals for suhoor.



“Many women may have felt jealous if their husbands preferred someone else’s cooking but I am more than happy with this arrangement because I have a job and prefer to sleep early and eat a light meal for suhoor,” she said.



In agreement was Lama Alessa, who said while the dish is very popular among Saudi men, women avoid it because they are more health conscious. “I find it difficult to eat such a heavy meal for suhoor and prefer a much lighter assortment such as a salad, which may have a little bit of meat in it. Fasting after a heavy meal is very hard to do and unhealthy,” she said.



The perfect recipe



Um Fahd has been making kabsa for her family for the past 30 years. She finds joy in the process as she tries to be creative by introducing ingredients or changing the method meat is prepared. She recently began using a pressure cooker to save time during Ramadan so she can spend more of her time in worship.



Dana, a newlywed, has been trying to master the recipe for kabsa after her husband accused her of being incompetent for not knowing how to make a dish that is served in every Saudi home.



“I was left shocked when my husband informed me that he is used to eating kabsa throughout Ramadan and that I had to learn how to make it. I’ve been practicing making the dish with my mother but I still haven’t perfected the dish. I tried to convince my husband to eat something other than kabsa but he refused and accused me of being incompetent,” she said.



Health risks



Dr. Haya Al-Mazyad, head of the Clinical Social Service Department at King Saud University, said there are some medical warnings against having such a heavy meal so late in the night. Experts have said having kabsa or similar meals along with yogurt in excessive proportions can cause diabetes, especially in children. “Parents should have a more proactive role in instilling positive and healthy eating habits rather than negative ones,” she said.