Traditional AlUla Ramadan recipes passed down through generations

Traditional dishes in the AlUla region are an important part of Ramadan customs. Among the most notable are the grain-based hareessa, or freekeh, soup and AlUla-style sambous, or samosa.

Huda Hamza Al-Ateeq has spent her life in AlUla and learned the art of traditional cooking from her late mother.

“I still make many of the dishes she taught me,” Al-Ateeq told Arab News. “One of my favorites is marees bread, it’s simple yet rich, made by mixing and boiling the dough with garlic and salt, then finishing it off with ghee.”

She explained that many of AlUla’s dishes rely on Bedouin products, such as ghee and local spices.

“For sambous, the dough is typically made from whole wheat flour (with a small amount of white flour added) and mixed with instant yeast, a bit of oil, and water. Sometimes, milk is added, but the key ingredient remains whole-wheat flour.

“The filling consists of minced meat, onions, spices and salt, along with a special blend of AlUla spices that gives the sambous dough its distinctive flavor.”

Hareesa soup (freekeh soup)

According to Al-Ateeq, this soup is a staple of Ramadan iftar meals. The wheat used in its preparation is grown in AlUla, taking about four to six months to mature.

Once the wheat turns golden, the stalks are roasted over a fire, and the grains are then extracted and crushed.

The grains are then cooked with meat, taking about an hour and a half to two hours to fully cook. Typically, one third to half a cup of freekeh is added to an appropriate amount of water, and just one cup of freekeh can produce a large quantity of soup.

Other traditional dishes in AlUla reflect a deep connection to heritage and local flavors.

“Ruqaq bread, a semi-liquid dough baked on a griddle, is often enjoyed with Eidam Al-Dibagh, a traditional stew, or marisa. It is also known as mastah. While luqaimat, a dessert, is not commonly served, it occasionally appears on the iftar table.”

She continued: “In the past, juice options were limited, with lemon juice and marisa juice — made from sugarcane or dried dates and naturally sweetened with dates — being the most common.

“Dates play a significant role in local cuisine, with mabroum and helwa being the most popular varieties. Helwa dates are compressed into special containers, allowing them to be stored for up to one or two years, during which their flavor deepens.”

Al-Ateeq said that before Ramadan, the head of the household would traditionally purchase wheat to be used in preparing soup, ruqaq bread, sambous pastries and handmade pasta (like noodles).

In the past, women would knead and shape pasta by hand, then leave it to air-dry completely before storing enough to last for suhoor meals throughout the year.

Freekeh soup continues to be cultivated in AlUla and is sold at varying prices, sometimes reaching SR80 ($21) to SR110 a kilogram, due to high demand from different regions of Saudi Arabia.

AlUla hosts traditional food festivals, some of which are overseen by the Slow Food organization to promote healthy eating awareness.

These festivals showcase AlUla’s diverse dishes and introduce visitors from around the world to the region’s agricultural products, including wheat, vegetables and fruits.