Popular 'Kabsa' on huge demand ahead of Eid Al Adha

A traditional Arabian fragrant rice dish called Kabsa is now in demand by Qatari families ahead of Eid Al Adha.

Catering companies specialising in Qatari cuisine have stopped taking orders at least a week ahead of the festival as they are already over-committed.

“We have stopped taking orders anymore,” a catering company owner Mohamed Sulaiman.

Kabsa is a dish in which long-grain rice is cooked with a mixture of aromatic spices and barbequed goat or sheep and served atop a huge platter of the rice.

According to The Peninsula, one dish is costing this year between QR1,750 and QR1,800 ($480), but a caterer told the daily their prices remain unchanged for the past seven years despite rising costs.

The rates depend on the price of Syrian sheep. Most families prefer Syrian sheep for Kabsa. 

Sulaiman said for the first day of Eid Al Adha itself he has booked orders for some 85 Kabsa dishes.

Some families want the dishes delivered for 8am banquets in their homes while there are others who insist on delivery at 11am, he said.

The richer Qatari families now prefer to buy traditional cuisines for occasions like Eid than cook them in their homes, the daily said.