Madfoon

Madfoon is one of numerous Arabian meals made with a combination of meat and rice. This signature dish is differentiated by a cooking technique in which the marinated meat is cooked in an underground hole where it is placed on the sand and surrounded by charcoal.

The smoke and heat slowly cook the meat, keeping it succulent and tender while providing it with a slightly smoky flavor and aroma. It is believed that this cooking method was inherited from the nomadic period, when traditional ovens did not exist and cooking meat underground was a convenient way to utilize nature and keep the meat protected from hungry predators.

Nowadays, the madfoon technique - usually associated with the Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah - has been slightly modernized, but continues to produce the same authentic dish. It is prepared with chicken and lamb (with meat left on the bone) that is spiced with coriander, cumin, pepper, cloves, and turmeric.

After several hours of cooking, the meat is tender and moist, thoroughly infused with spices. The meat is served on top of saffron rice, and it is usually accompanied by yogurt and a spicy chili sauce. Since it takes a lot of time to prepare and cook madfoon, it is only found in specialized restaurants across the Arabian Peninsula.