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Because the United Arab Emirates has become such an innovative melting pot of cultures (and futuristic buildings), you'll find food from almost every major region of the world here. It still sticks to its Arabian roots, though, as well as has some pretty stellar traditional food of its own—all of which you should definitely try out during your international locum tenens assignment. Check 'em out:
Stuffed camel
We'll be honest, stuffed camel is not something you'll find at your average restaurant when you're visiting the UAE. It's considered to be one of the most luxurious dishes in the entire region, typically served at lavish weddings alongside roasted chicken and lamb. It's a real dish, though—and it makes a Thanksgiving turkey look miniature. Fun fact: Stuffed camel is even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the largest dishes in the world.
Shawarma
Here's a food you're probably already familiar with—it's cooked in many Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world. Shawarma is technically a certain way of preparing and cutting shreds of meat. It's typically lamb or chicken, and it's served alongside Arabian bread and a mixture of onions, tomatoes and garlic sauce.
Al Harees
This dish is made of two things: meat and wheat. For so few ingredients, it takes a surprisingly long time to prepare, but it's certainly worth the wait.
Dates
This one is pretty simple. Dates grow in abundance all over the UAE, and they're eaten in a million different ways. Many people will munch on dates whole as a simple snack or dessert, but they're also used as an ingredient in meals and as a syrup used to flavor many different dishes.
In short? The UAE has some fantastic Middle Eastern food. There's a reason the United States now has a restaurant chain called I Dream of Falafel.