Have you tried UAE's popular dish 'harees'? Taste a bowl of local culture at this market

It's one thing to live in the UAE and another to live the UAE way of life. A pop-up market in Dubai gives you a slice of the latter.

As soon as you walk into the Dubai Municipality's Souq Al Freej, you will be welcomed with scents that are unique to the UAE culture. And one aroma could instantly pique anyone's curiosity — one that comes from the huge pot of harees being cooked right at the market.

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Expat chefs Bless and Tayyeb Hussain would start stirring harees soon after the afternoon prayer and they will keep doing so for hours until 5pm. This will be their routine for the next 15 days, throughout the run of Soul A Freej's third edition,

Harees — slow-cooked meat and wheat simmered to perfection in porridge-like consistency — is one of the most popular dishes in Emirati cuisine. And making it is no walk in the park, said Bless and Tayyeb.

“Harees is a dish that truly tests your patience and dedication. It typically takes around 24 hours to prepare it perfectly,” said Indian expat Tayyeb. “The process begins the day before with the wheat being soaked. This step alone takes several hours, usually overnight, to ensure the grains are tender.”

The next morning, Tayyeb gets the fresh meat from the market, washes it, and cooks it on low flame for for hours. “The lamb meat is boiled with water and spices until it’s so tender that it falls apart. Once the meat is cooked, it’s shredded and set aside,” said Tayyeb. The soaked wheat is then added to the meat broth and slow-cooked again for six to eight hours on low flame. “By this time, the Harees is nearly 70 per cent done,” said Tayyeb.

At 3pm, Tayyeb, along with other chefs, arrives at the pop-up market to complete the remaining procedure live.

After stirring the dish for over an hour, it's then seasoned to perfection and served hot — "often garnished with butter or fried onions for extra flavour", said Tayyeb.

Seeing market-goers enjoy the harees make Tayyeb and Bless feel "happy and proud". To them, making and serving this traditional dish is a way of paying tribute to the country they call home.

Exploring the market

As the sun sets, Al Warqa Park 3 comes alive with families gathering to enjoy a winter evening filled with fun, food, and unique treasures of the local culture.

Children are seen running around the play areas as mascots dressed in local Emirati dresses make the little ones giggle and clap.

Those into fashion will find distinctive pieces that reflect the UAE heritage Beautiful dresses and abayas with intricate embroidery steal the spotlight.

Fatma, an Emirati entrepreneur, has been participating in such exhibitions for the last four years, and this is her second year at Souq Al Freej. “I am so grateful for this platform to share my passion for traditional Emirati fashion,” said the Emirati woman, who is showcasing her collection of handmade jalabiyas, the traditional tunics and dresses adorned with embroidery.

“I use fabrics sourced locally and add embroidery inspired by Emirati heritage. Many visitors stop by to appreciate the craftsmanship and detail,” Fatma said.