Traditional Food in Hail Province

Traditional food in Hail Province are the dishes known for being prepared by the people of Hail Province, located in the northern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These dishes predominantly feature ingredients like whole-wheat flour, pure ghee, dates, and seasonal vegetables. Most of these traditional foods are associated with winter, as the region typically experiences low temperatures. In general, whole-wheat flour is a primary ingredient in many of the traditional dishes of the province.

"Hail Harees" dish stands out as one of the most popular traditional foods in Hail Province. It is a traditional dish prepared from boiled wheat grains and served as a main meal for lunch or dinner. This dish is rich in dietary fiber and proteins, providing substantial energy and warmth during the cold weather, making it an ideal winter dish. Its ingredients include meat, onions, and tomatoes.

Temmen, another popular dish in Hail Province, is a type of rice cooked with meat, vegetables, and, when in season, pumpkin.

Hanaini, a popular dessert especially in winter due to its high-calorie content that provides energy, is prepared from whole wheat bread mixed with pure ghee and dates until it resembles dough. Hail Province shares the tradition of preparing Hanaini with the central regions of the Kingdom.

Keubaibat Hail is one of the delicious dishes from Hail Province. In 2024, the Culinary Arts Commission announced the designation of signature dishes for all provinces of the Kingdom as part of the 'National and Regional Dishes Narratives' Initiative, naming "Keubaibat Hail" as the signature dish of Hail Province.

The name "Keubaiba" derives from the process of stuffing rice into grape leaves. Keubaibat Hail is stuffed with rice or temmen and cooked in meat broth. This dish is frequently prepared in summer due to the abundance of grape leaves in season.

Keubaibat Hail is prepared with two main components: the 'stuffing' and the 'sauce'. The stuffing consists of three hundred g of temmen rice, 150 g of fresh grape leaves, fifty g of finely diced onions, one hundred g of finely diced tomatoes, fifty g of finely chopped spring onions, five g of al-Sarar (chili) peppers of Hail, five g of mixed spices, five g of cumin powder, three g of turmeric, five g of salt, and thirty ml of vegetable oil. The rice is washed and soaked for thirty minutes, mixed with the vegetables, spices, salt, and oil, then wrapped in grape leaves to form a hexagonal or pentagonal shape.

Regarding the sauce, it is made from twenty g of sauce (tomato paste), five g of salt, 1,200 ml of boiling water, and twenty ml of oil. These ingredients are cooked over medium heat for ten minutes. The base of the pot includes two hundred g of medium-sized lamb pieces with bones, fifty g of finely diced onions, forty g of sliced green peppers, and fifty g of finely diced tomatoes. The meat and vegetables are hand-pressed down, the stuffed grape leaves are placed on top, and the remaining stuffing mixture is added. The sauce is then gradually poured over, about 215 ml every five minutes. The dish is cooked on low heat for two hours.