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Generally speaking, the noontime meal is
the largest and most important of the day. Breakfasts and
dinners tend to be smaller and less elaborate than the typical
lunch. In most major cities, you will find Yemeni, Arab, and
Western- style restaurants at different levels of price and
quality.
Restaurants tend to be most crowded during lunch, or from about
11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Most establishments close for the
afternoon, reopening at 5:00 and serving dinner until
approximately 10:00 pm. All but the most expensive restaurants
insist on cash payment, though even in hotels you will want to
pay in cash as the exchange rate on credit cards is extremely
unfavorable to foreigners.
Before sitting down to a table, it is
customary in Yemen to first wash your hands, and sinks are
provided for this purpose in every restaurant. One always eats
with the right hand, as the left hand (reserved for washing
oneself) is considered unclean. This custom takes on added
importance in Yemen, since in most restaurants food is taken
without eating utensils, although they are generally available.
The same table manners you would practice
at home are generally applicable in Yemen as well: blowing one's
nose, loud speech, or belching during a meal are all considered
impolite. In Sana'a, there are several famous and popular dishes
you will want to try. Salta is a meat or chicken broth with
vegetables served in a superheated stone bowl, and eaten with a
special flat, flaky bread. There are numerous types of Salta
available, and some restaurants, as you will discover, are more
popular than others for their particular recipe.
Other typical dishes include Ful (a
mixture of beans, uncooked vegetables, and oil), grilled or
broiled chicken, grilled fresh fish, fried eggplant, rice,
yogurt, various types of salads, okra, and ground chick pea
paste, known as hummus. |
