Saudi food is built around rice, meat, and bread, slow-cooked and generously spiced with cardamom, turmeric, cloves, and dried lemon. The cuisine is not particularly spicy by the standards of the wider region, but it is aromatic and satisfying.
Kabsa is the dish most Saudis would name as their national food. Long-grain rice cooked with meat — usually chicken or lamb — tomato, dried fruit, and a blend of spices. The dish varies by region: in the Hejaz it tends towards sweeter, in Najd towards more savory. You will find kabsa everywhere, from roadside canteens serving plastic plates of it for a few riyals to restaurants in Riyadh making an elaborate event of it.
Mandi is older and simpler: meat cooked low and slow in an underground pit (or in modern versions, a sealed oven), then served over rice that has absorbed the smoke and fat. The result is extraordinarily tender. Mandi houses are easy to spot — look for the clay ovens or the signs advertising whole roasted lamb. A good mandi is one of the great eating experiences the country offers.
Jareesh is cracked wheat cooked down slowly into a porridge-like dish, often topped with chicken or lamb and a ladleful of clarified butter. It looks modest and tastes excellent.
Saleeg is a white rice dish cooked in broth and milk until creamy and soft, typically served with roasted chicken and a spicy tomato sauce. It is a speciality of the Hejaz region, particularly around Jeddah.
Harees — wheat and meat pounded together into a smooth porridge — is found across the Gulf and is particularly associated with Ramadan and Eid celebrations.
Saudi coffee (qahwa) is very different from espresso: brewed light, flavoured with cardamom and sometimes saffron or rose water, and served in small cups. Refusing coffee is considered impolite. Dates are always offered alongside.
Saudi cities have a full range of international restaurants, from fast food chains to Japanese and Italian restaurants in Riyadh and Jeddah. The local food is better and cheaper.