Harees is among the oldest dishes of the Arabian Peninsula, made from just wheat, meat, water, salt and time, and it holds a special place in the Emirates. It is cooked for weddings, for Eid and above all for Ramadan, when pots of it are shared between neighbors, and in 2023 UNESCO added harees to its list of intangible cultural heritage on a nomination led by the UAE with Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The traditional pot cooks for many hours, sometimes buried in hot embers, before being beaten smooth with a wooden paddle. A heavy pot on a low stove, or a slow cooker, does the same quietly while you watch practice, and the result tastes of patience in the best sense.

The harees

Ingredients

• 2 cups (380 g) harees wheat
• 2 lb (900 g) bone in lamb shoulder or neck
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 12 cups (2.8 liters) water

Spiced ghee

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (55 g) ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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