Of souqs and scrumptious food in Sharjah!

Boutique hotels, Islamic-style markets, shopping hubs and more greet the visitor in Sharjah as the delicious food plays cupid and bonds people.
Of souqs and scrumptious food in Sharjah!

HYDERABAD : Allen, our ‘know all’ guide and Habibi the Egyptian chauffeur of our coach never saw eye to eye, yet they succeeded in showing us the most interesting sites of Sharjah.At the hundred-year old Souq Al Arsa, Fatima welcomed us with coffee, dates and Oodh (incense). Fatima’s mother specially roasted the nuts and made the coffee for us: her pretty junior Ayesha poured it in dainty cups, laced with her sweet smiles.

The fragrance of Oodh permeated in the souq as Ayesha sprinkled it on lighted coal while Fatima captured the smoke in her “abaya”: ladies with long hair had the luxury of spreading it over the smoke to absorb the fragrance, and it lingered long after in our coach. As a contrast to this, she also made us sniff authentic tobacco leaves, which are used in “sheesha”.

When we entered “Al Omani Sweet Factory”, the aroma of the Omani Halwa had me in a swoon. Ghee and brown sugar syrup blended with corn flour and saffron resulting in a sinfully delectable classic, topped with fine slivers of almonds- it was the most heavenly halwa I have ever eaten. No wonder the Sheikh of Sharjah orders it (from this factory) for his guests!

Through the souq we entered a boutique hotel “Al Bait Sharjah”, a collection of historic manor houses converted into a luxury hotel that combines the best of modern comforts and amenities with echoes of the old world. Priya Ahire took us around explaining each aspect of the building’s history and restoration. We found finely carved doors with Hindu architectural elements, imported from Kerala many years ago. As I was returning, my eye caught pink pearls displayed in the neighbouring shop. Kiran (sales girl) from Karachi and I exchanged notes on pearl jewellery, for I hail from the “Pearl City”, that is Hyderabad! 

On the tiny little Al Noor Island located in Sharjah’s iconic lagoon, “Butterfly House” sits like a resting butterfly with its golden wings glistening in the sun. Developed into a tropical oasis in the middle of the city, it houses a small butterfly enclosure where the pretty creatures feast from fruit trays and flit in the confined space. Kids were colouring the cut out butterflies with crayons. We walked in the wilderness outside, plucked ‘ber’ fruit on the thorny shrubs and ate heartily; reached for the pink, fleshy, mildly sweet and sour “monkeypods” on tall trees; jumped on the trampoline like nursery school kids.

Our traditional Emirati lunch at Almajaz waterfront – “Al Fanar” had crisp samosas, refreshing salads, Jesheed (baby shark), biryanis and kebabs followed by “Lequimat” – fried golden dough balls coated with date syrup and sesame seeds which look deceptively like ‘gulab jamuns’: one bite, you know that they are different, not as juicy, neither so soft nor filled with khoya, the ubiquitous ingredient of Indian sweets; “Ferni” a second cousin of our kheer, as delicious and as flavoursome. Doesn’t every land have its own version of milk pudding?

I loved Khabish, a halwa like sweet dish from Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and common in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – served as a traditional dish for breakfast, especially during Eid days.Souq Al Jubail is Sharjah’s largest, modern and cleanest market monitored by the government for quality, prices and hygiene. Designed in traditional Islamic style with arches and domes, Souq Al Jubail attracts more than half a million shoppers every month. At the entrance were well-groomed girls selling honey who gave us tiny spoonfuls of different kinds of honey to taste.

In the fruits and vegetable section, I came across a unique potato: the shopkeeper Damodaran (from Kasargod, Kerala) gave a broad grin and said it is called “gulgus”, posed with it, asked me to WhatsApp his picture. Allen gave a major build up for the “fish auction” that happens twice a day. We all sat around the main display area (some families came with kids to watch the fun). The 4 pm show (auction) started and finished in a matter of a few minutes; it was all over so fast, in the cleanest fish market!

The “Blue Souk”, is the main shopping hub and one of the most impressive landmarks of Sharjah. Located on the Khalid Lagoon, it looks gorgeous during sunset, seen across the water. Consisting of two large buildings, interconnected by indoor bridges, with exuberant vaults and a unique skyline of 20 wind towers and blue tiles on its external walls, it boasts around 600 shops selling gold, jewellery, gems, perfumes, souvenirs, electronics, clothes, cosmetics and household goods. I heard more Malayalam here than Arabic, proof of their contribution to the Gulf economy!

It was at the “gala dinner” that I discovered not one, but many Arab delicacies like Moutabal (a yummy dip), Tabouleh (salad made with fresh parsley, tomatoes, scallions and bulgur wheat), Lamb Tajin (I loved the apricots in it!), Mahalabia (milk pudding), Hot Date Pudding (worth freaking over this!), and Um Ali (bread pudding made from croissants, milk and nuts).

All through our trip, at every meal Allen and Habibi would sit together like loving brothers, bonding over food. You would find them nodding in appreciation, smiling with satisfaction and laughing at each other’s jokes. What do you think brought them together? The delicious food, of course!

(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)

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