WITH
THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP
(and all of its attendant
controversies) underway in Qatar,
we’re focusing on a subject that
enjoys even more of a dedicated
fandom than football: food. In a
four-part series, we’ll be sampling
the national dishes of each of the
32 participating countries, tackling
two groups in each edition of the
newsletter over this week.
Today, Groups A and
B:
⚽GROUP
A⚽
Qatar
— Majboos (aka
‘machboos’)
A variation of
the Saudi Arabian dish known as ‘Kabsa’,
the Majboos is an aromatic rice-and-meat
dish. It has similarities with the
biryani, but does not use any yoghurt or
garam masala. Meat — chicken, lamb,
fish, or even camel — is marinated and
then slow-cooked in traditional sauces,
before being added to the rice.
Variations on the basic recipe abound
throughout Qatar. Read more about
Qatari food here.
Ecuador
— Bolon de Verde
Bolon de Verde
are basically dumplings or fritters made
of green plantain. Rather than a snack
though, these are filling enough for a
main meal, and are popular at
breakfast/brunch. Each dumpling is
slightly larger than a cricket ball in
size. The outer layer is made of green
plantains that are fried over low heat
until tender, then mashed into a dough.
Pork (or other meat of choice) is mixed
with cheese for the filling. Once the
dumplings are prepared, they’re pan
fried until golden brown.
Senegal
— Thiéboudienne
Thiéboudienne
is a rice and fish dish that owes its
origins to Saint-Louis in Northwest
Senegal. Rice, fish and a selection of
vegetables (like potatoes, cassava,
plantains, pumpkin) are all simmered
together in a pot in a base of tomato
sauce. In keeping with Senegalese
tradition, thiéboudienne makes for a
one-pot, communal meal. You’re also
bound to find a helping of sosa kaani (a
very spicy sauce made from Scotch bonnet
peppers, reportedly “40 times hotter
than a typical jalapeño”) on the
side.
Netherlands
— Pickled Herring
Sure, Dutch
poffertjes (small, baked pancakes served
with butter and icing sugar) are
probably as much a signature dish in the
Netherlands, but we’re going with
‘maatjesharing’ — the soused or pickled
herring that is considered a delicacy
here. The cleaned, raw, lightly brined
fish must have a fresh, salty taste. It
is coated in chopped onions, held by its
tail end, and then put into your mouth
in one go.
⚽GROUP
B⚽
England
— Roast Beef
Some might
argue that Chicken Tikka Masala or
Fish-n-Chips or even Yorkshire Pudding
is the real national dish of
the English, but to them we say, did
Henry Fielding dedicate a poem to any of
these undoubtedly toothsome morsels?
Fielding’s words about the dish that
came into prominence during the reign of
(another) Henry (VII) in 1485 run
thus:
“When
mighty Roast Beef was the
Englishman's food, / It ennobled our
veins and enriched our blood. / Our
soldiers were brave and our
courtiers were good / Oh! the Roast
Beef of old England, / And old
English Roast Beef! / But since we
have learnt from all-vapouring
France / To eat their ragouts as
well as to dance, / We're fed up
with nothing but vain complaisance /
Oh! the Roast Beef of Old England, /
And old English Roast
Beef!”
Iran —
Chelow/Chelo Kebab
The era of the
Qajar dynasty, which ruled over Iran
from Iran from 1789 to 1925, is believed
to have given rise to the national
Iranian dish of Chelow Kebab. Steamed
rice is served with accompaniments like
sumac powder, butter, basil, onions and
grilled tomatoes. On top of it, a skewer
of kebabs is placed, along with a piece
of flatbread like lavash. The meal is
washed down with a glass of “doogh” (a
yoghurt-based drink that sometimes uses
carbonated water). Read about the
Chelow Kebab’s Indian connection
here.
USA —
Hamburger
1845 is when
the hamburger’s history is believed to
dovetail with that of America. A Virgian
named CA Coffman patented his “Machine
for Cutting Sausage-Meat”, a precursor
to the meat grinders for the mince that
forms the mainstay of a hamburger patty.
By 1885, two vendors at two country
fairs (in New York and Wisconsin,
respectively) would claim they had
served the first burgers — squashing a
ground beef patty between buns for
on-the-go clientele. The rest, as they
say, is (fast food) history.
Wales
— Cawl (aka
Lobscows)
A hearty
meat-and-vegetable stew, the recipe for
the traditional Welsh Cawl varies
greatly as it relies on seasonally
available produce and affordable cuts of
meat. Bacon, Welsh lamb or beef form the
meaty part of the dish; often, cheaper
but more flavourful cuts on the bone
that wouldn’t make it to other dishes
will find their way into the pot for
Cawl. Root vegetables like potatoes,
rutabaga will be added with onions,
leeks and carrots to the pot and left to
simmer for several hours. The spices are
minimal: a bay leaf, some black pepper,
kitchen herbs and salt. The Cawl is had
with bread and cheese, and the broth is
served first, followed by a helping of
the meat and vegetables.
⚽Tomorrow:
Groups C & D⚽
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