with arabic food... at least in the gulf, its very hard to speak of native food coz everything has taken in foreign influences. with all the trading of spices and goods from india and persia, the gulf arab states developed food which has some degree of foreign influence.
one example is the arab biryani (one of my favourite foods in the world) - its very different to all the kinds of indian biryani, but nevertheless there is the unmistakable origin of the food. i mean, i doubt Arab nomads grew rice in the desert.
someone shold explain more about the arabic dish - Rice with the full cooked goat on top served with yogurt. thats AMAZING. its a huuuuuge communal dish of rice with a whole goat on top.
also, UAE locals also eat the famous fish called "hammour" - its a tender white fish - i dont know how exactly they cook it. but nowadays, most fish n chips in dubai use hammour. personally, i love it grilled with olive oil, butter, lemon and garlic.
dates, although eaten throughout the region and n. africa, is also or WAS also a staple food in the gulf arab diet - especially coz they grow here naturally. then i believe camel was also occasionally eaten. on the UAE/oman border rest stations, there are restaurants that serve camel kebabs.
