by Philip Iddison
I had been making regular visits to the fish market in the centre of Al Ain
in the United Arab Emirates for some time before I queried the origins of a well
established fresh fish market in this small desert city. My trips
were both to purchase food and also to research what food was
available. The variety and abundance of fish throughout the year was
striking and the vitality of the market confirmed a well established demand for
fish from Al Ain residents. Whilst this could be expected from those
sections of the expatriate populace who had a strong seafood element in their
own ethnic cooking, Filipinos and Keralans for example, the observed popularity
of fish for the nationals of the UAE was more obscure. Was it a
development of recent years with improved transportation, relative abundance and
low cost or was there a historical origin for this taste? One clue
was the existence of a few dried fish traders who seemed to do relatively little
business. Perhaps this indicated a redundant commodity whose taste
was no longer appreciated.
Until the late 1960's, Al Ain was an isolated date palm oasis with a small
resident population controlled by the semi-nomadic bedouin of the Beni Yas
confederation. The leaders of these tribes had gained control of the oasis by
steadily purchasing date palm gardens. The Beni Yas had their main seat of power
in the coastal settlement at Abu Dhabi, west of Al Ain, and were the most
important tribe in a group of oases in the Liwa area to the south west of Al Ain
[1]. Adjacent to the five villages
comprising Al Ain are four Omani villages forming the Buraimi part of the
oasis. In distance terms the Batinah coast of Oman is as near to Al
Ain as the Gulf coast. There are strong cultural ties between the
two communities although the strength of tribal custom has ensured that they now
belong to separate countries [2].
The journey of 160 kilometres from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi took a minimum of 3
days by camel and could take as long as 14 days for a caravan of goods. Even two
days were required once the Landrover had become available. The
journey to Batinah is equally difficult involving passage through the Hajar
mountains along Wadi Jizzi. Until the construction of the modern
road system in the late 1960’s fresh fish was out of the question in Al Ain [3].
Economic Basis of Life
Research into people’s past means of sustenance in the Trucial States [4] revealed that my conception of purely desert based
nomads needed to be broadened and that the resources of the sea had a more
important role in the national livelihood than I had expected.
The main economic activities to sustain the lives of the national population
of the Trucial States in the early part of this century can be divided into two
groups. On one hand there were subsistence occupations:-
- nomadic camel herding;
- tending date gardens and associated agriculture in the oases;
- sheep and goat herding where pasture and water supplies permitted; and
- fishing and fish drying.
Alternatively there were a limited number of trades:-
- providing land transport by camel;
- pearl diving and trading;
- trading including overseas dhow journeys; and
- activities such as charcoal burning, firewood collection, guarding and
crafts such as blacksmith, dhow builder.
Many families used several of these means of support to provide a living for
their family. Thus it was not unusual for a nomadic herdsman with a small palm
garden in Liwa to leave his family during the date harvest whilst he spent part
of the summer fishing on the coast [5].
With 540 kilometres of coastline and abundant fish resources, fishing
provided a valuable subsistence resource with the potential to generate cash or
barter benefits. In 1969 it was estimated that 17% of the population were wholly
or partly dependent on fishing for their support and cash income [6]. During the 1950’s and 60’s annual
production was estimated to be 10,000 tons of which 6,000 tons were
exported. The Gulf waters of the western UAE coast are rich in fish
varieties [7] particularly during the winter months
when shoals of pelagic fish such as tuna, sardine and anchovy enter from the
Gulf of Oman to reinforce the resident fish populations. The UAE has
a shorter eastern coast bordering the Gulf of Oman which hosts an even richer
sea fauna from the adjacent Indian Ocean. Current production is
about 90,000 tonnes per annum and a substantial proportion is consumed in the
UAE. There were 4,464 fishing boats in 1996 and there is a growing
awareness of the value and potential fragility of this resource.
An account [8] of life in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi in
the 1950's and 60's details a hardy lifestyle. Extended families usually had
establishments in both towns with a corresponding split of economic support
activities, pearl diving, fishing and trading in Abu Dhabi; herding, date
gardens and seasonal cultivation in Al Ain.
Fishing along the Abu Dhabi coast was substantial and of prime economic
importance [9]. The fishing rights were held by the
ruling sheikh who usually licensed them out [10].
Fish was a dietary mainstay along the coast due to ready
availability. In Dubai rice and fish were the standard midday food,
in the hot climate there was a traditional taboo against eating fresh fish later
in the day [11]. Dried fish preparation
was an important industry and supplied the inland areas with food and fertilizer
as well as being an export commodity. There was a separate dried fish suq
in Dubai.
A variety of fishing techniques were used including traps, gargour and
dubeyer, and lines and nets used either inshore or from small sailing
boats, sambuk and jalbut (derived from the English naval term
jolly boat). The techniques were sophisticated, making good use of
both fixed and cast nets. Fixed nets exploited the natural topography,
currents and fish migration routes. Such nets, hadra and sakar
are still in use along the gulf shoreline. They extend out from the shore and
catch fish as they travel with the longshore drift, collecting the catch in a
small trap at the end of the net which needs only to be attended at low tide to
collect the catch. Fish could be kept for short periods in the gargour
traps if these were weighted down offshore, thus preserving the catch for later
consumption.
The dried fish trade was also well developed in the Oman. Exports
are recorded to places such as Ceylon, one merchant handling 200 to 250 tons of
fish monthly for ten months of the year with an annual value of £100,000 in the
1950's [12]. Dried sardines were an
important item of trade in Oman as they were carried inland and used as camel
fodder [13].
Sardines are still dried on the east coast of the UAE at Fujairah and
Khalba. They used to be dried by simply spreading them on the
coastal mud flats and more recently I have seen them being dried on the asphalt
surface of a redundant section of road, a resourceful idea. These fish are
caught by seine netting from the beaches, a four wheel drive vehicle has now
replaced human muscles for the job of hauling in the net.
Silversides (Atherinidae) were also collected in significant numbers and
dried but they were used as fertilizer [14].
Al Ain Fish Market
The Al Ain fish market is housed in a number of sheds arranged around the
open vegetable and food market in the heart of the city. The whole
market derives its popular name, suq as samak, from the fish
sales. The fish are brought overnight from the coastal landing areas
by truck in large ice chests. The trucks are driven into the sheds so that
the fish can be heaped on benches for sale as the morning wears on and the stock
diminishes. One is confronted by mounds of multi-coloured fish
backed up by fishmongers wielding sharp knives gutting two kilo trevally
specimens whilst vying for your attention for the next sale. The
fish is invariably fresh and the customers are knowledgeable and discerning.
The choice is large and spectacular [15], heaps
of silvery sardines, broomtail wrasse in exquisite colours, vicious barracuda
and cutlass fish with bared fangs, lines of svelte tuna, a tangle of half-beaks,
half a dozen varieties of grouper with bulging eyes, bowls of swimming crabs and
prawns, rather evil looking sea catfish with poisonous spines, and a plethora of
trevally and bream. Individual fish weigh from a few grams, for instance
anchovies, to kingfish and amberjack weighing 15-20 Kg. each. The appendix
records the technical details of this visual treat and also records local fish
names gathered from the other Gulf countries.
The market is well patronised by all nationalities with the exception of
Europeans and North Americans. They are perhaps too accustomed to the
supermarket culture to cope with the vagaries of an open market and all its
questionable characteristics; for instance the need to know about the different
fish varieties; bargaining skills and the hygiene aspect.
Fish prices are low compared to the west, a kilo of sardines costs 5 Dirhams [16] and most large fish retail at 8 to 20 Dirhams a
kilo. Only premium fish such as silver pomfret and the excellent large
prawns break this barrier, fetching 25 to 50 Dirhams a kilo for prawns of
exceptional size.
Fish Butchery
The term butchery was chosen with care as there is minimal finesse displayed
when it comes to cutting up the fish sold to a customer. However the
majority of fish sold in the suq are offered for sale intact.
In the case of large fish such as tuna, fresh sharks and kingfish, they are
usually sliced transversely into steaks. Some fish seem to be
prepared as a matter of course, shaeri (emperors) are frequently
displayed scaled, gutted, fins trimmed and the head removed. If the
vendor cleans a fish for a local he will offer to cut it up and this offer is
usually taken up. The fish is then butchered into chunks with no respect
for bone structure and must be an alarming prospect to eat. However some local
recipes call for the fish to be cooked and then de-boned before the flesh is
incorporated into the final dish thus solving the problem.
Preserved Fish - Cheseef
A few stalls in the market sell a variety of preserved fish, called cheseef
in the UAE and recalling the state of fish consumption prior to modern
communications. Mal-lah is another term for dried fish.
Two natural methods of food preservation have been available in the Emirates
since prehistoric times.
Sun drying is still used to preserve prawns, anchovies, sardines and shark [17]. The process is simple, effective and preserves excess
supplies.
Salting is used for a number of fish varieties and these are still available
in the suq. On the Gulf shore there are extensive salt flats where sea
salt was naturally produced and I have seen it being collected on the sabkha
salt flat between Dubai and Sharjah. There were also inland sources
of salt that were collected by the bedouin and taken to the regional markets.
The most common dried fish in the Al Ain suq are anchovies, gashr.
Huge bowls are piled high at half a dozen stalls in the central open
area. These are sold by the kilo and are relatively cheap at 10
Dirhams. These fish do not seem to be salted and rely simply on the sun drying
to preserve them.
Dried shark, awal, is the second most common dried fish and also
unmistakable as the whole shark is cut longitudinally for the drying process
like the structure of a giant net [18].
Apart from sale as whole pieces, a popular choice for travellers visiting the
market, current practice is to cut the dried shark into pieces about 4 inches
long, rejecting the less meaty portions and presenting the pieces in a plastic
bag at a premium price (25 Dirhams a kilo). It is readily
recognisable due to its characteristic pungent smell of ammonia. I received some
domestic aggravation for bringing home awal, as the aroma readily
permeated our flat in Al Ain. The ammonia smell is due to the
presence of urea in the shark flesh. Sharks and rays do not have kidneys and
are hence unable to dispose of urea which builds up in their flesh.
I have also found tuna, kingfish and queenfish, salted and dried for sale as
whole split fish. The tuna is also cut into smaller pieces for sale and
there are whole small seabreams. The dried shrimps are quite small
specimens and are intact. Dried shellfish are also on sale, khart,
and were described to me as being dried oysters. I was unable to tell what
species had been dried, shellfish are not common in the market despite their
abundance in the marine environment. There is a religious
proscription against shellfish, however given the number of oysters that had to
be processed in the pearling industry, it would seem logical for some use to
have been made of this abundant food.
There are also shallow bowls displaying wet salted fish which I have not yet
had the courage to try.
Studying this selection of dried fish reminded me that I had seen my first
genuine red herring on sale in the Kuwait suq back in 1980, displayed in
a wooden box emblazoned Great Yarmouth. Herring preserved in brine
in vacuum packs are a common commodity in the UAE supermarkets.
Fish Sauces - Meshawaa
Meshawaa (mehiawah in Qatar) is a product which I have not been
able to track down in the UAE although I suspect that I have consumed it on
bread, khamir or chebab, at a demonstration of traditional
breads. It certainly had the correct salty taste. It was
introduced from Iran [19] to the Gulf
countries. It has not entered commercial production.
Preparation is from pickled Indian oil sardines, oom, water, spices and
salt. These are mixed and left to ferment in a glass bottle in the
sun for one to two weeks. The contents are then mashed and mixed
with roasted spices to undergo a further fermentation. The sauce is
spread on flatbreads and particularly eaten at breakfast with spring onions.
Tareeh is home prepared from dried oom, again fermented with
salt, cummin and red chillies. It is more concentrated than meshawaa
and is diluted with water for consumption on bread with radish tops and spring
onions [20].
These products bring to mind the fish sauces of eastern Asia.
Charles Perry in papers to the Symposium has identified the historic near
eastern taste for salty liquid seasonings and fish preserves.
Local Recipes
There are few accounts of local food published in English.
Reviewing recipes that are available for traditional food in the UAE and
neighbouring countries reveals several categories of fish dishes.
My definition of traditional food is the food endemic in the UAE before the
advent of oil wealth and the social changes which ensued. This was
already a cultural mix with Iranian, sub-continental, Iraqi and north Arabian
influences [21]. It had however
developed a distinctive character which is evident in the fish dishes,
particularly those requiring preserved products.
Given the good quality of fish, the simple methods of frying and grilling
fish, samak maqli and meshwi, are understandably
popular. The ready availability of cooking oils is relatively recent
and the frying medium was probably clarified butter, samn. Ovens were the
clay tanoor type and do not seem to have been used for cooking fish
dishes. Fish stews are well represented with spices being an
essential component. The local spice mix, bezar [22],
was used for meat and fish dishes.
Dried anchovies or sardines were ground with roasted fennel seeds to make a
garnish called sahnah for rice [23].
Gashr are also cooked with egg and cheese and eaten with bread. In
Oman red pepper and garlic were pounded with the anchovies to make a similar
condiment. Awal was used for a range of dishes including
stews and salads. It was prepared by soaking and boiling before being
incorporated into the dish. The recipes for this product are almost
all Omani and this reinforces my view that these products are falling out of
favour in the UAE. Local advice is to avoid drinking milk after
eating awal and other dried fish as it is likely to upset the
stomach. Oman also has many recipes for salted fish, malih,
and a keen general appreciation of its broadly based and historic culture.
Matharubah originates from Kuwait and is made from fish and rice which
are reduced to a paste after the first stage of cooking. There are recipes
for fish kebabs and fishcakes and many recipes include a stage where the fish
skin and bones are removed and the fish is flaked into the dish.
This could explain the fish butchery in the suq.
Some Omani recipes call for the dish to be smoked as a final cooking
stage. This is achieved by placing half a lime rind on the surface
of the dish, placing a little samn in it, adding a piece of burning
charcoal and sealing the lid so that the charcoal smolders and flavours the
food. This seems to be a particular taste of Oman.
Crustaceans were also popular food and the Gulf prawns have a well deserved
culinary reputation. Swimming crabs are a common market item, the remaining
coastal mangroves providing the necessary breeding environment. A
national told me that they were one of his children’s favourite foods, simply
cooked on the barbecue. Dugong meat was also eaten when these mammals were
caught in the fishing nets and was considered a delicacy [24].
These mammals may weigh up to 500 Kg. and the flesh is like very tender beef.
Food on the pearling expeditions was dependent on fish as a source of protein
to sustain the arduous work. Rice was the staple accompaniment and
with dates and coffee completed the bill of fare on these voyages which lasted
up to two months.
Summary
The diversity of fish dishes reflects the important role that food from the
sea played in traditional life in the Trucial States as one of the main economic
resources. The taste for fish has not diminished and is well served
by the modern fish markets such as the Al Ain fish suq where a large
variety of seafood is available. The fish market in the desert is not an
anomaly.
Bibliography
Al-Fahim, Mohamed, From Rags to Riches - A Story of Abu Dhabi,
The London Centre of Arab Studies, London, 1995
Al-Ghais, Saif Mohamed, Fishes from UAE (coloured wall poster),
UAE University, UAE, 1995?
Al Taie, Lamees Abdullah, Al Azaf, The Omani Cookbook, Oman
Bookshop, Muscat, 1995
Al Zayani, Afnan Rashid, A Taste of the Arabian Gulf, Ministry
of Information, Bahrain, 1988
Brock-Al Ansari, Celia, The Complete United Arab Emirates Cookbook,
Emirates, Dubai, 1994
Carpenter, Kent E et al., Living Marine Resources of Kuwait, Eastern
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, FAO, Rome,
1997
Codrai, Ronald, The Seven Sheikdoms - Life in the Trucial States before
the federation of the United Arab Emirates, Stacey International,
London, 1990
Coles, Anne and Peter Jackson, A Windtower House in Dubai, Art
and Archaeology Research Papers, London, 1975
Dagher, Shawky M, Traditional Foods in the Near East, FAO,
Rome, 1991
Davidson, Alan, Mediterranean Seafood, Penguin, Harmondsworth,
1981
Davidson, Alan, Seafood of South-East Asia, Federal
Publications, Singapore, 1976
Dorr, Marcia Stegath, A Taste of Oman, Traditional Omani Food,
Muscat?, 1994?
Friends of the Oman Aquarium, Fishes of the Souk (fish
identification card), Oman, 1988?
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chapter in Natural Emirates - Wildlife and Environment of the United Arab
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Heard-Bey, Frauke, From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates,
Longman, London, 1996
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Publishing, Sydney, 1979
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Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, Prospect Books, 1998
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1966-8], Faber and Faber, London, 1974
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International, London,1986
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Immel, London, 1986
Appendix - Seafood in Gulf Markets
jash: published/recorded name
jash: identified as a market fish and hence assumed to be eaten
jash: seen in market or name confirmed
kingfish*: sampled from Al Ain suk as samak
(juv) = juvenile specimens; (ad) = adult specimens
? - indicates some doubt on local or scientific name
?? - indicates questionable edibility, e.g. many puffers are fatally toxic!
| United Arab Emirates |
Oman |
Bahrain |
North Gulf |
Scientific |
English |
| Cartilaginous Fishes |
| - |
- |
- |
hayyasa |
Chiloscyllium sp.,
Stegostoma varium |
bamboo sharks,
zebra shark |
| yaruor, amat |
jarjur |
jerjoor |
jarjur
yaryoor |
Triakidae fam.
Carcharhinidae fam. |
houndshark & requiem shark families |
| - |
jarjur abu al graram |
- |
aqrun |
Sphyrnidae fam. |
hammerhead sharks |
| suss, sous |
barbar, fanto |
- |
hariri
balando |
Rhinobatidae fam. |
guitarfish family |
| fitr-lakhmah, ruget |
- |
lokhma |
lukhma |
Dasyatidae fam. |
stingrays & whiprays |
| tais gharabi ?? |
- |
- |
thuwar ‘amir
lokhmah |
Myliobatidae fam. |
eagle rays |
| Bony Fishes |
| bonouk ?? |
far al bahar ?? |
- |
- |
Albula sp. |
bonefish |
| - |
- |
- |
nashuj |
Muraenesox cinereus, Conger cinereus |
daggertooth pike conger, longfin African conger |
| ooma |
uma, abed |
o'om |
um |
Sardinella longiceps,
Sardinella albella, S. gibbosa,
S. sindensis, Amblygaster sirm |
Indian oil sardinella*
white sardinella*
spotted sardinella,
Sind sardinella
goldstripe sardinella |
| - |
- |
- |
suboor
sabur
|
Tenualosa ilisha |
hilsa shad, river shad |
| - |
- |
- |
sawayah ?
‘um |
Ilisha compressa,
Ilisha sirishai |
compressed ilisha,
lobejaw ilisha |
| - |
- |
- |
sabur |
Anodontostoma chacunda |
Chacunda gizzard shad |
| yuwaf |
- |
jawaf |
juwwaf |
Nematalosa nasus |
Bloch's gizzard shad |
| - |
- |
o'om |
um |
Dussumieria acuta,
D. elopsoides |
rainbow sardine,
slender rainbow sardine |
| gashr(dried) |
- |
- |
- |
Encrasicholina devisi, E. punctifer |
de vis' anchovy* bucaneer anchovy |
| jashr |
- |
o'om |
um |
Stolephorus indicus |
Indian anchovy* |
| - |
- |
- |
usbur |
Thryssa hamiltonii |
Hamilton’s thryssa |
| - |
- |
- |
boefchach |
Thryssa whiteheadii |
Whitehead's thryssa |
| in market |
sail, sulfak |
hiff |
huff hiff |
Chirocentrus dorab,
C. nudus |
wolf herrings* |
| in market |
baiher |
- |
sheem |
Chanos chanos |
milkfish* |
| khin |
jam, khen |
chim |
shim |
Arius thalassinus,
A. bilineatus,
A. dussumieri,
A. tenuispinis
|
giant sea catfish, roundsnout sea catfish, blacktip sea catfish, thinspine
sea catfish |
| sannuoh, ter, macarona |
hasum, poleen |
kassor |
kasur |
Saurida undosquamis, Saurida sp. |
brushtooth lizardfish*, lizardfish |
| - |
- |
- |
naghaga |
Austrobatrachus dussumieri |
flat toadfish |
| - |
- |
manchos |
manshus, manchoos |
Atherinomorus lacunosus |
hardyhead silverside |
| hagoul, kharam |
kharkhur alafa |
hagool |
musaffaha, hakool |
Ablennes hians |
flat needlefish* |
| - |
- |
- |
hakul |
Strongylura sp. |
needlefish |
| hagoul kharam |
kharkhur alafa |
hagool |
dawalmi,
hakool |
Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus, T. sp. |
hound needlefish |
| sils, sil's |
- |
sils |
sils |
Rhynchorhamphus georgii,
Hemiramphus marginatus |
George's halfbeak*
'yellowtip halfbeak |
| yaradah |
maran, sils |
jaradeh |
jarada
yaradah |
Cypserulus oligolepis,
Parexocoetus mento |
largescale flying fish,
'African sailfin flying fish |
| - |
- |
- |
firyala |
Lepidotrigla bispinosa |
bullhorn gurnard |
| wahar |
- |
wahar |
wahara
ewharah |
Grammoplites suppositus, Platycephalus indicus |
spotfin flathead,
Indian flathead |
| - |
- |
- |
najil |
Aethaloperca rogaa |
redmouth grouper |
| hammor, hammour |
hamur |
hamour |
hamoor (balool (juv) |
Epinephelus coioides |
orangespot grouper* |
| summan ? |
- |
- |
qutwa
gataw |
Epinephelus areolatus, E. bleekeri |
areolate grouper*
duskytail grouper |
| in market |
- |
burtam |
burtam |
Epinephelus multinotatus, E. latifasciatus |
whiteblotched grouper, striped grouper |
| - |
- |
summan |
summan |
Epinephelus polylepis |
smallscale grouper |
| arus, hummara |
hamur |
- |
shenainow |
Cephapholis miniata |
blue spot rock grouper, coral hind |
| - |
- |
- |
ishnainuwa |
Cephapholis hemistiktos |
yellowfin hind, halfspotted hind |
| naser |
- |
- |
- |
Cockeolus japonicus |
bulleye* |
| hamra |
deek? |
- |
hamra |
Priacanthus tayenus, P. hamrur |
purplespotted bigeye, moontail bullseye |
| - |
- |
zamroor |
qaradhi |
Pelates quadrilineatus |
fourline terapon |
| baam, yali |
baam, sarour |
zamroor |
dheeb zamrool
theeb |
Terapon jarbua, Terapon puta, Terapon theraps |
tigerfish, jarbua,
smallscale terapon, largescale terapon |
| - |
- |
hassom |
hasum, hasum arabi |
Sillago sihama, S. attenuata, S. arabica |
silver sillago
slender sillago
Arabian sillago |
| sichil |
sikel, goada |
sikin |
sikn |
Rachycentron canadum |
cobia |
| la-zag |
lazzag |
- |
lazzag |
Echeneis naucrates |
sharksucker, remora |
| in market |
- |
- |
- |
Remora remora |
remora |
| anfulus |
anfalus |
- |
- |
Coryphaena hippurus |
common dolphinfish mahi mahi |
| numar ? |
- |
- |
khait |
Alectis ciliaris |
threadfin jack |
| numar ? |
- |
- |
khait, othaimy |
Alectis indicus |
Indian threadfish |
| - |
- |
jinees |
hammam, jinnees, jarnees |
Alepes djedaba,
A. melanoptera,
A. vari
|
shrimp scad,
blackfin scad
herring scad |
| - |
- |
- |
jash |
Atropus atropos |
cleftbelly trevally |
| jush, jesh |
butikha |
- |
hammam |
Carangoides bajad |
orangespotted jack/trevally* |
| - |
- |
- |
hammam |
Carangoides chrysophrys |
longnose trevally |
| - |
- |
- |
jash |
Carangoides ferdau |
'blue trevally |
| tanna |
- |
- |
jash
hamam |
Carangoides malabaricus |
Malabar trevally |
| - |
sall |
- |
- |
Carangoides praeustus |
blacktip jack, brownback trevally |
| dardaman? |
- |
- |
hammam |
Atule mate |
yellowtail scad* |
| yarwah |
- |
- |
hammam kabir |
Caranx ignobilis |
giant trevally |
| - |
haima |
- |
jash |
Caranx sexfasciatus |
bigeye trevally |
| simah, baleg |
- |
khedra |
- |
Decapterus russelli |
Indian scad* |
| - |
sagla, gazala |
- |
musallaba |
Elagatis bipinnulata |
rainbow runner |
zredy
zabeeb
jash? |
keft, kegdar, bakes |
rabeeb, kefdar |
rabeeb, kefdar |
Gnathanodon speciosus |
golden trevally* |
| dee ai yoo |
- |
- |
teeti |
Megalaspis cordyla |
torpedo scad* |
| halwayoh aredah |
halwaya |
imad |
halwayuh |
Parastromateus niger |
black pomfret* |
dhela
bassar? |
habes, zareb, bashke |
lehlah |
dhal’a |
Scomberoides sp. |
queenfish* |
| - |
- |
baleg |
balij |
Selar crumenophthalmus |
bigeye scad |
| - |
- |
seniee |
seena, garfah |
Selaroides leptolepis |
yellowstripe scad |
hammam
halwayoh |
- |
hamam |
jibb |
Seriola dumerili |
great amberjack |
| halwayo |
gazala |
hamam arabi |
dibsa, dabsah |
Seriolina nigrofasciata |
blackbanded jack, blackbanded trevally |
| zubaity |
talah, raheesa |
- |
- |
Trachinotus africanus |
African pompano* |
| - |
talah, raheesa |
- |
bu sulbukh |
Trachinotus blochii |
snubnose pompano |
| - |
- |
- |
tala’ |
Trachinotus mookalee |
Indian pompano |
| - |
- |
khedra |
khadra |
Trachurus indicus |
Arabian scad |
| - |
- |
- |
diyayuh |
Uraspis helvola |
whitetongue jack |
| in market |
- |
- |
- |
Mene maculata |
moonfish |
in market
(dried) |
- |
- |
tarashi
rayasha ‘aridha |
Leiognathus bindus, L. equulus |
orangefin ponyfish, common ponyfish |
| badha |
- |
musallakh
badeh |
musallakh (juv) badh-ar rayash (ad) |
Gerres oyena |
common silver-biddy, blacktip mojarra |
| - |
- |
- |
rayasha, badah |
Gerres filamentosus |
whipfin silver-biddy, whipfin mojarra |
| - |
- |
- |
badh ar-rayash |
Pentaprion longimanus |
longfin silver-biddy, longfin mojarra |
| - |
- |
- |
shiqra |
Lutjanus argentimaculatus |
mangrove red snapper |
| - |
- |
- |
naisara |
Lutjanus ehrenbergii |
blackspot snapper |
| aglaah |
- |
- |
naisara |
Lutjanus fulviflamma |
dory snapper, one spot golden snapper |
| - |
- |
- |
naisara |
Lutjanus johnii |
John's snapper |
| nasarah, nisar |
hamra |
- |
naisara |
Lutjanus quinquelineatus |
fivelined snapper, bluestriped snapper |
| hamra |
hamra |
- |
hamra |
Lutjanus malabaricus |
Malabar snapper, red snapper |
| hummarah |
- |
hamrah |
hamra |
Lutjanus sanguineus |
humphead snapper |
| - |
- |
naiser |
naisara |
Lutjanus russelli |
Russell’s snapper |
| fadha |
- |
- |
na’imee |
Pinjalo pinjalo |
pinjalo, pink snapper |
| - |
andag |
- |
- |
Pristipomoides sp. |
Jobfish |
| - |
lama |
- |
khattaf |
Caesio varilineata
C. lunaris |
yellowstriped fusilier, lunar fusilier |
| - |
- |
- |
subaiti |
Lobotes surinamensis |
tripletail |
| - |
- |
- |
khubur |
Diagramma pictum |
painted sweetlips |
| hilaly |
nagroor |
- |
zeena |
Plectorhinchus gaterinus |
blackspotted thicklip |
| khuber |
- |
khubor
frish |
fursh |
Plectorhinchus pictus |
painted grunt, trout sweetlips |
| - |
- |
- |
janam |
Plectorhinchus sordidus |
sordid sweetlip |
| yanam |
- |
janam |
yanam |
Plectorhinchus schotaf |
minstrel, grayish grunt |
| - |
naqrur |
- |
naqrur,
nakroor |
Pomadasys argenteus |
silver grunt |
| - |
- |
- |
naqrur |
Pomadasys kaakan |
javelin grunt |
| yimyam'h |
- |
jimjam |
imyam |
Pomadasys stridens |
striped piggy |
| - |
gazwan, andaq |
- |
basij |
Nemipterus bipunctatus |
Delagoa threadfin bream |
sultan ebraheem
(andak) |
- |
- |
basij
bassi |
Nemipterus japonicus
N. peronii |
japanese threadfin bream*
notched threadfin bream |
| - |
- |
ebzaimee |
ibzaimi |
Scolopsis bimaculatus,
S. taeniatus |
thumbprint monocle bream, blackstreaked monocle bream |
| ain-shimaloh |
- |
- |
zarra’ |
Scolopsis ghanam |
Arabian monocle bream, dotted bream |
| bzemiy |
- |
- |
hassayya |
Scolopsis vosmeri |
whitecheek bream |
| - |
- |
- |
jima |
Lethrinus borbonicus |
snubnose emperor |
| shekhabi |
sha'ri, khodair |
sharee |
baksheena |
Lethrinus lentjan |
redspot emperor |
| suli |
sha'ri, khutam |
soly |
suli |
Lethrinus microdon |
smalltooth emperor |
| shaeri |
- |
soly |
sha’ri
sheiry |
Lethrinus nebulosus |
spangled emperor*
starry pigface bream |
| shaam aswad |
- |
- |
sha’um’ mozaizy? |
Acanthopagrus berda |
picnic seabream |
| faskarah, bint al nokhatha |
rababa, bint nakhza |
faskar |
faskar |
Acanthopagrus bifasciatus |
doublebar seabream* |
| kabtah |
- |
she'em |
sha’m
sheim |
Acanthopagrus latus |
yellowfin seabream |
| - |
- |
subaity |
mozaizy (juv)
sobaity (ad) |
Acanthopagrus cuvieri |
silvery black porgy |
kofar
farida
merjan |
kawfar, da'ara |
- |
kufar
andag |
Argyrops spinifer |
king soldierbream* |
| - |
- |
andag |
nahash |
Cheimerius nufar. |
seabream |
| - |
- |
- |
battan |
Crenidens crenidens |
karanteen seabream |
| - |
kofer |
muchawah |
imshawah |
Diplodus sargus kotschyi |
onespot porgy/seabream |
| - |
- |
- |
andak |
Pagellus affinis |
Arabian pandora |
| - |
- |
- |
qurqufan |
Rhabdosargus haffara |
haffara seabream |
| - |
- |
gorgofan |
- |
Rhabdosargus sarba |
goldstriped seabream |
| - |
- |
- |
imzaizi (juv)
subaiti (ad) |
Sparidentex hasta |
sobaity seabream |
| - |
- |
- |
nuwaibi
newaiby |
Otolithes ruber |
tigertooth croaker |
| - |
- |
- |
eshmahy |
Pennahia anea |
greyfin croaker |
| - |
- |
- |
nuwaibi saghir |
Protonibea diacantha |
spotted croaker |
| - |
- |
- |
sheem |
Eleutheronema tetradactylum |
fourfinger threadfin |
| - |
- |
- |
ghazal |
Polydactylus sextarius |
blackspot threadfin |
| biyah |
- |
- |
biah |
Liza subviridis, Mugil cephalus, Valamugil pederaki |
greenback mullet, flathead mullet, longfin mullet |
| be-yah |
gawafa, guturana |
maid
beyah |
beyah
biah |
Chelon macrolepis, Valamugil seheli,
Liza persicus, |
largescale mullet, bluespot mullet, Persian mullet |
| - |
- |
- |
maid |
Liza abu, L. klunzingeri |
abu mullet
Klunzinger’s mullet |
| - |
kasarmala, sultan ibrahim, hidi |
- |
- |
Mulloidichthys vanicolensis |
yellowfin goatfish |
| - |
- |
hamer |
hummar |
Parupeneus heptacanthus. |
cinnabar goatfish |
| - |
kasarmala, sultan ibrahim, hidi |
- |
- |
Parupeneus macronemus |
longbarbel goatfish |
| - |
- |
- |
sultan ibrahim |
Parupeneus margaritatus |
pearly goatfish |
| hediy abu uwashih |
- |
raee |
ra’I
hamer |
Upeneus tragula |
freckled goatfish |
| hediy |
- |
basej |
hamer |
Upeneus doriae |
gilded goatfish |
| - |
aum alshaba |
- |
- |
Kyphosus sp. |
blue sea chub |
| mushat |
- |
- |
- |
Chaetodon nigropunctatus |
blackspotted butterflyfish |
| - |
misht |
- |
in market |
Heniochus acuminatus |
longfin bannerfish, pennant butterfly fish |
| anfuz arabi |
- |
- |
- |
Pomocanthus asfur |
Arabian angelfish |
| anfuz farsi |
- |
- |
- |
Pomocanthus imperator |
emperor angelfish |
| anfus |
- |
anfooz |
anfuz
anfooz |
Pomocanthus maculosus |
yellowbar angelfish |
| in market |
ega'aisse |
- |
- |
Abudefduf vaigiensis |
sergeant major damselfish |
| yirab |
mailag |
- |
- |
Cheilinus lunulatus |
broomtail wrasse |
| - |
- |
gain |
- |
Choerodon robustus |
robust tuskfish |
| missan |
- |
- |
- |
Thalasomma lunare |
moon wrasse |
| gin |
baraya, humara, jinn |
gain |
gain
gain masdi |
Scarus sp. |
parrotfish* |
| - |
- |
- |
wazagh
terr |
Parapercis robisoni,
P. alboguttata |
smallscale sandperch, bluenose sandperch |
| - |
- |
- |
rumramai |
Uranoscopus dollfusi |
Dollfus’ stargazer |
| in market |
kelb al bahr, khubs |
- |
khaufa
khofaah |
Psettodes erumei |
Indian spiny turbot |
| samakat mousa |
- |
- |
hairazan |
Bothus pantherinus |
leopard flounder |
| - |
- |
- |
khaufa
khofaah |
Pseudorhombus arsius |
argetooth flounder |
| - |
- |
- |
khaufa
mezlak |
Pardachirus marmoratus |
finless sole,Moses sole |
| - |
- |
- |
lisan, lessan, althor |
Cynoglossus arel, C. bilineatus, C. carpentieri, C.kopsii, C.puncticeps |
largescale/fourlined/
hooked/Kop’s/
speckled tonguesoles |
| mizliganih |
- |
- |
lisan |
Euryglossa orientalis |
oriental sole |
| - |
- |
bangara |
banqara |
Ariomma indica |
Indian driftfish |
| zu-bedi |
- |
zebaidy |
zobaidy |
Pampus argenteus |
silver pomfret* |
| gid |
aqam, qadad, gaila |
dwailmee (s)
jidd (l) |
kanaya
edwailmy |
Sphyraena jello |
pickhandle barracuda* |
| ghily, jid |
aqam, qadad, gaila |
dwailmee (s)
jidd (l) |
duwalmi
edwailmy |
Sphyraena obtusata |
obtuse barracuda |
| - |
- |
- |
qid |
Sphyraena putnamiae |
sawtooth barracuda |
| saifaram-do |
saflac, fafdo, kharodail |
- |
i’saba
ea'sabah |
Trichiurus sp. |
cutlassfish* |
| sadah, gubab |
haida, sharwa |
jibab |
jibab
cedah |
Euthynnus affinis |
kawakawa, mackerel tuna, little tunny* |
| sa'ha-wa |
- |
- |
- |
Katsuwonis pelamis |
skipjack tuna |
| gar-fa, gurfa |
dhala'a, karuga |
khedra |
khadhra
bangalla |
Rastrelliger kanagurta |
indian mackerel* |
| - |
sagtana, marmara |
- |
- |
Sarda orientalis |
striped bonito |
chanaad
bal-jeh? |
kan'ad |
khubbat (s)
chana'ad (l) |
kan’ad
chaniedah |
Scomberomorus commerson |
narrow-barred spanish mackerel, kingfish* |
| khabat, qabed |
- |
- |
khubbat |
Scomberomorus
guttatus |
spotted Spanish mackerel |
jodar, gobab
go-bob |
gaydher, sahwa |
- |
qibab |
Thunnus albacares |
yellowfin tuna |
| - |
- |
jibab |
- |
Thunnus obesus |
bigeye tuna |
| in market |
- |
- |
- |
Thunnus tongol |
longtail tuna* |
| khail al bahr |
sansul |
faras |
faras |
Istiophorus platypterus |
sailfish |
| - |
misht |
- |
mishit |
Drepane longimana |
barred sicklefish |
| in market |
- |
- |
imad |
Drepane punctata |
spotted sicklefish* |
| in market |
- |
- |
thuwar’
mishit |
Ephippus orbis |
orbfish, golden spadefish |
| emad |
- |
- |
imad |
Platax orbicularis, P. teira |
circular platax
teira |
| - |
- |
- |
shing |
Scatophagus argus |
spotted scat |
| safy |
- |
saffee |
safi |
Siganus canaliculatus |
pearlspotted rabbitfish |
| safysanefi |
safi, seeseege |
saffee senniffee |
safi |
Siganus javus |
streaked rabbitfish |
| - |
- |
- |
sunaifi |
Siganus luridus |
dusky rabbitfish |
| in market |
faridh |
- |
jarah al-maliki, jarah az-zarqa |
Acanthurus sohal
Zebrasoma xanthurum |
sohal, surgeonfish’
yellowtail surgeonfish |
| - |
- |
- |
shalaib ad-dau |
Triacanthus biaculeatus |
shortnose tripodfish |
| gargumbah |
- |
- |
humara
homarah |
Abalistes stellatus |
starry triggerfish |
| gargumbah |
- |
- |
- |
Sufflamen fraenatus |
bridled triggerfish |
| chelebidow?? |
- |
- |
buqumi |
Stephanolepis diaspros |
lozenge filefish |
| beq-mah?? |
- |
- |
fuqul |
Lagocephalus lunaris |
lunartail puffer |
| Crustaceans |
| rubeyan |
shubas, rubyan |
- |
- |
Penaeus indicus |
Indian white shrimp* |
| in market |
- |
rubian |
rubiyan |
Penaeus semisulcatus,
P. latisulcatus,
Metapenaeus sp. |
green tiger prawn |
| - |
sharukh |
- |
umm ar-rubian |
Panulirus sp. |
spiny lobster |
| - |
- |
umm al rubian |
umm ar-rubian |
Thenus orientalis |
shovel lobster, flathead lobster |
| gabgoob |
- |
gubgub |
saratan sabih |
Portunus pelagicus |
blue swimming crab* |
| Gastropods |
| - |
- |
- |
howait |
Monodonta nebulosa |
- |
| Bivalve Molluscs |
| - |
- |
- |
sadafi
qhurut (dried) |
Pinctada margaritifera, P. radiata |
black-lip pearl oyster, rayed pearl oyster |
| - |
- |
- |
sughoa |
Circentia callipyga,
Marcia flammea |
Venus clam, ovate clam |
| Cephalopods |
| habar |
habar |
khathag |
subaidaj
habbar |
Sepia sp. |
cuttlefish |
| naggar |
habar, nager, anter, dagit |
- |
habbar |
Loligo sp. ? |
squid* |
| akhkaboot al bahar |
- |
- |
habbar akhtabuti |
Octopus cyaneus
|
octopus |
| dowl |
- |
- |
- |
- |
jellyfish |
| Mammals & Reptiles |
| anfulus |
- |
- |
- |
Delphinidae fam. |
dolphin |
| baghr al bahr |
- |
arus al bahar |
- |
Dugong dugon |
dugong, sea cow |
| - |
- |
- |
sulhafa khadra |
Chelonia midas |
green turtle |
| - |
- |
- |
sulhafa dhat manqar as-saqr |
Eretmochelys imbricata |
hawksbill turtle |
| - |
- |
- |
- |
Dermochelys coriacea |
leathery turtle |
| - |
- |
- |
- |
Caretta caretta |
loggerhead turtle |
Sequence of listing follows Randall, also using his scientific names, updates
from Carpenter et al.
Scientific synonyms omitted.
Randall’s and Carpenter’s English names used, other common names in use
follow.
Some members of families marketed but with no Arabic name have not been
included, for example Carangoides.
Sources:
Brock Al-Ansari, Al Ghais' fish poster, personal observations 1994-8
Friends of Oman Aquarium, Randall, Al Taie, personal observations 1996-7
Vine, Al Zayani
North Gulf Carpenter et al., Kuronuma for Kuwait, personal observations in
Kuwait 1980-3
Fish Sampled From the Al Ain Souk
| Date |
Fish |
Weight gm. |
Length cm. |
Cost Dh. |
Taste/Texture/Ease Recipe |
| - |
kawakawa |
1500 |
50 |
10 |
fillets baked, dry texture, good flavour and good cold |
| 3/1/97 |
Indian oil sardine? |
1000, 16 no. |
18-20 |
5 |
headed, gutted and de-boned, stuffed and baked, good strong flavour |
| 3/1/97 |
'milkfish |
500 |
35 |
- |
cooked but not eaten apart from a taste, too boney |
| 3/1/97 |
black pomfret |
400 |
26 |
- |
baked, tastey but not as good as silver pomfret |
| 3/1/97 |
Indian mackerel gurfa Oman
UAE |
200 + 125 |
24 + 20 |
- |
good flavour, manageable bones, baked |
| 3/1/97 |
jash - trevally |
175 |
21 |
- |
good flavour, no lateral bones, baked |
| 3/1/97 |
queenfish |
'na |
steak |
free |
firm texture, average taste, easy to eat |
| 3/1/97 |
kingfish |
na |
steaks |
15/Kg |
few bones, strong flavour, baked/fried/fish pie/etc. |
| 10/1/97 |
shaeri
spangled emperor |
1700 |
45 |
10/Kg |
steamed Chinese style, excellent succulent flesh in large flakes. Often
sold headed gutted and scaled in market |
| 10/1/97 |
kofar, merjan, faridaking soldierbream |
500
400
250 |
25
24
20 |
15/Kg |
baked, good firm white flesh, bones very manageable |
| 10/1/97 |
gashr, De Vis' anchovy - dried |
- |
5-7 |
10/Kg |
- |
| 17/1/97 |
jash, large |
1900 |
50 |
10/Kg |
850 gm. fillets, baked plain, darkish flesh, good flavour, also good cold |
| 17/1/97 |
j(g)ashr, Indian anchovy |
'9 each |
9-10 |
5/Kg |
cleaned very easily, also easy to fillet, baked, flesh didi not have as
full an anchovy taste as hamsi but good and not oily |
| 17/1/97 |
no name, George's halfbeak, one specimen |
? |
?photo |
- |
baked with anchovies, similar flavour, backbone almost black |
| 24/1/97 |
meyval, Indian scad |
80-90 |
19-21 |
5/Kg |
- |
| 2/5/97 |
zubaidi |
500 |
27 |
'25/20 Kg |
2 good sized specimens |
| 2/5/97 |
kingfish |
- |
- |
20 Kg |
steaks as usual |
| 8/5/97 |
black tuna, gubab |
1650 |
50 |
10 Dh. for one |
Yielded 800 gm. of fillets for a tomato sauce dish. |
| 16/5/97 |
squid (frozen) |
1 Kg |
10-15 |
7 Dh |
Squid Provencale |
| ditto |
awa l |
'0.4 Kg |
pieces |
10 Dh |
- |
| ditto |
dried shrimp |
0.2 Kg |
small |
5 Dh. |
- |
| 23/5/97 |
'cutlass fish, saifaramdo |
1 Kg + 2 no. |
80/85 |
8 Dh |
in roe, cut into 3 pieces and baked, easy to eat, average taste, good cold |
| ditto |
lizardfish, macarona ? |
600 gm. |
40 |
2 Dh. for one, nominal |
boiled and defleshed, flesh dry but tasty, made into fish cakes |
| 6/6/97 |
jid, pickhandle barracuda |
1.2 Kg +1 Kg |
65/60 |
8/15 Dh for 1/2 Kg |
in roe, one male one female, yielded 1 Kg. Fillets, cooked in tahina
sauce, the dark meat turned a rather visually unappetizing black colour |
| 6/6/97 |
orange spotted jack, jash (small specimen) |
100 gm |
19 |
free |
baked, adequate flavour |
| 13/6/97 |
dee-ai-yoo, torpedo scad |
700 + 850 gm. |
40/42 |
7 Dh for 1.5 Kg. |
filleted with difficulty yielded 500 gm. of dark red flesh, skin very
tough with scutes, baked with lime and coriander |
| 13/6/97 |
galaya, young yellow tail barracuda |
70 gm. average |
20-25 cm. |
nominal |
headed and gutted and baked |
| 13/6/97 |
gubgub, swimming crabs |
small |
- |
nominal |
not meaty enough to warrant eating |
| 4/7/97 |
dardaman ?, yellowtail scad |
250/450/475 gm. |
26/34/36 cm. |
12 Dh for 1 Kg. |
filleted yielded 500 gm., meat quite dark, grilled with coriander salsa,
good flavour |
| 11/7/97 |
gin/gun, blue barred parrotfish |
250/650 gm. |
24/34 cm. |
10 Dh. per Kg. |
Massive liver, filleted, white fleshed, smaller specimen a juvenile,
steamed with ginger and coriander, flesh very tender and tasty. |
| 11/7/97 |
naser ?, bulleye |
900 gm. |
40 cm. |
8 Dh per Kg. |
Headed and gutted, small roes, white flesh, baked plain, very firm flesh,
succulent and good flavour. |
| 1/8/97 |
zredi, golden trevally |
1450 gm. |
48 cm. |
20 Dh/Kg. |
Filleted for pudina maach, 600 gm. of light and dark flesh. |
| 5/9/97 |
shaeri, spangled emperor |
1500 gm. |
45 cm. |
10 Dh/kg. |
Filleted, 600 gm. |
Market Notes
dried sardines = ooma, dried shark = awal
24/1/97 my helpful dealer tuna, large = suda,
small = thibban
large 'black' tuna = gubab
given small Indian scad? = meyval
large rounded fish, uniform grey/brown/green = thaqu(v)a
hammour, bright red/blue spots + one with even golden spots
rainbow runner hammam??? dolphin fish, barracuda
zubaidi, black pomfret, hamam (rainbow runner?),quite large (25
cm.) halfbeaks - shils, barracuda - jid/jit, medium sized tuna - gubab,
lots of trevally, hammour etc., kingfish prices high.
broomtail wrasse, two flatfish, barracuda, black tuna, huge meagres?, good
selection of large trevallies including a silvery black one, halfbeaks, largish
anchovies, sardines, hammour varieties, zubaidi, barracuda, spotted shark,
mahi-mahi (1), catfish, mercan, one skate, shaeri, few prawns and
crabs.
16/5/97 lots of gubab, zubaidi, halfbeak, shaeri,
oom, hammour; small soles/mousa, striped tuna, cutlass fish (saifaramdo),
barracuda, kingfish,
dried fish kingfish, queenfish, striped tuna all whole salted split
fish
shrimp, small seabream, tuna pieces, awal pieces
triggerfish? sobaity?, needlefish/houndfish hagoul
kofer/mercan, anfalus - common dolphinfish, young queenfish, safee
- dark coloured skin, gilded goatfish, sohal/surgeonfish, black spotted
thicklip (nagroor?), shaeri - lots of young and redspot and spangled, khart
said to be dried oyster, obviously dried shellfish
11/7/97 more than thirty varieties counted, takua large fleshy lipped
greyish fish seen before, meagre/croaker??, girfa Indian mackerel with a rosey
hue on the flank
10 Kg. hammam, lot of catfish, streaked rabbitfish (safi),
orbfish, lot of emperor, tunas, barracuda, grouper, snapper
Additional Books
Al-Baharna, W S, Fishes of Bahrain, Directorate of Fisheries,
Ministry of commerce and Agriculture, Bahrain, 1986
Khalaf, K T, The Marine and Fresh Water Fishes of Iraq,
Ar-Rabitta Press, Baghdad, 1961
Kuronuma, K and Y. Abe, Fishes of the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait City, 1986
Randall, J E, G R Allen and W F Smith-Vaniz, Illustrated Identification
Guide to Commercial Fishes (of Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman), Food and
Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 1978
Sivasubramaniam, K and M A Ibrahim, Common Fishes of Qatar,
University of Qatar, Doha, 1982
White, A W and M A Barwani, Common Sea Fishes of the Arabian Gulf and
the Gulf of Oman, Trucial States Council, Dubai, 1971
shekaily large emperors labeled in Continent, smaller specimens were
labeled as usual shaeri
Krupp
Fisher W & G
Gubanov
awal: dried shark
rubiyan: dried shrimp
gashr: dried anchovy
[1] The Liwa oasis is a true sand desert oasis and
was the first economic power base of the Beni Yas which augmented their nomadic
camel herding. Practically the only vegetation is the gardens of
date palm which are able to survive due to deep root systems. There
are a few wells but the water tends to be brackish and does not support
subsidiary agriculture. In contrast the plantations of the Al Ain/Buraimi area
have the benefit of continuous running water from several ancient falaj,
comprising underground water collection channels which tap the ground water
flows from the adjacent Hajar mountain range. This readily explains
the attraction of the Al Ain date gardens when they came on the
market. Not only was the date crop approximately doubled,
(acknowledged by the fact that it was taxed at twice the rate for the Liwa
plantations), but substantial planting could be undertaken in the shade of the
date palms to provide fresh vegetables and fodder to help support sheep and goat
herds.
[2] The political separation of the oasis between
the two countries was quite recent, the border was agreed in the 1950’s and
there are still no restrictions on movement between the two countries in the
immediate area around the oasis.
[3] There are fish living in Al Ain in the falaj
channels which convey water to the oases, species unknown but hardly of a
substantial enough size or population to provide a source of nutrition.
Conditions may have been different in the past, Gross quotes local
people's claim that twigs of the mountain shrub Taverniera glabra were
used to beat the surface of wadi pools thereby stunning the fish with toxic
compounds in the plant. This enabled any fish to be caught readily
by hand, presumably for consumption.
[4] Seven of the trucial states became the
federation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.
[5] Or more likely pearl diving during the boom
period in pearl trading up to 1929.
[6] Thirty thousand out of the 180,000 population
- Heard-Bey.
[7] See the appendix for a listing of the
recorded seafood resources in the UAE.
[8] Mohammed Al-Fahim's account of
life in the UAE when it was still called the Trucial Coast is one of the few
written records by a national of life during this period and contains incidental
detail on food.
[9] Shaeri, common in the market, also
appear on the 5 fil coin indicating their cultural and economic importance.
[10] For instance the fishing rights from Khor
Udaid to Al Hamra, a distance of 100 kilometres, were rented to Darwish bin
Haddad of the Rumaithat for 350 rupees per annum in 1940. Fishermen
who were not of the Rumaithat tribe traditionally paid a tax of one fifth of
their catch to the holder of the fishing rights.
[11] Coles
[12] Skeet
[13] Thomas
[14] Shepley
[15] One Friday morning in July, I counted 30
different species for sale and cannot be sure that I had seen the complete range
available.
[16] The Dirham is worth 17 pence or 27 cents.
[17] As well as dates and limes.
[18] There have been reports in the local press
of a thriving industry collecting and drying sharks fins for export, only the
fins are removed and the shark carcass is dumped at sea.
[19] Dagher and Al Zayani.
[20] Dagher
[21] The impact of trade and travel on the local
food culture cannot be underestimated and has recently developed to worldwide
influences with the influx of expatriates and their varied food
cultures. Non-Arab food cultures with a significant market presence
are Indian, Filipino and Western, although the latter is most characterised by
fast foods and international hotel cuisine.
[22] Called baharat in other Gulf
countries, the mix is black pepper, cummin, coriander, cinnamon/cassia, cloves,
dried ginger, cardamom, chilli/dried red pepper, nutmeg and occasionally
turmeric or fennel.
[23] Cross reference Charles Perry’s paper to
the Symposium.
[24] In the 1970’s between 60 and 70 dugong
were sold in the Abu Dhabi market each year. Occasional specimens
were still being reported in the early 90’s , Heard-Bey and Emirates Natural
History Group.