Traditional Food in the Northern Borders Province

Traditional Food in the Northern Borders Province are traditional dishes that the Northern Borders Province is renowned for in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of these dishes are associated with the winter season, as the Northern Borders Province is characterized by a predominance of cold weather. The ingredients of the province's traditional dishes are largely based on whole wheat flour, clarified butter, and yogurt. Whole wheat flour is considered a main ingredient in most of the traditional dishes in the province.

The traditional dishes in the Northern Borders Province reflect the historical heritage and the cultural diversity influenced by the province's status as one of Saudi Arabia’s border provinces. Al-Mulaihiyah and al-Fateetah are among the main traditional dishes on the tables of the Northern Borders Province. Thareed is a prominent winter dish in the province, consisting of cut dough mixed with broth and lamb.

The Northern Borders Province shares a culinary culture with most northern provinces of Saudi Arabia in preparing rich dishes such as Jareesh, Marqooq, Matazeez, and Qurs al-Milla. These dishes are made from nearly the same ingredients but differ in the preparation of the dough, how it is cut, and how it is incorporated with the other components. They share the process of cutting the dough and mixing it with broth, vegetables, and spices until fully cooked. Since the Northern Borders Province is a pastoral desert region that relies on raising sheep, camels, and goats, yogurt and butter prominently stand out among the key ingredients of its traditional dishes.

In 2024, the Culinary Arts Commission designated al-Mulaihiyah as the regional dish of the Northern Borders Province as part of the initiative Narratives of National and Regional Dishes. This initiative, launched in early 2023, identified Jareesh as the national dish of Saudi Arabia and al-Maqshush as the national dessert. The initiative aims to celebrate Saudi culinary culture, document its recipes, and invest in its symbolic value to promote its dissemination across various social groups locally and internationally, preserving it as an integral part of Saudi provinces’ cultural heritage. Al-Mulaihiyah is made of rice, Marees al-Aqit (fermented dried yogurt) or meat mixed with clarified butter, garnished with parsley and broth.

The residents of the Northern Borders Province favor certain traditional dishes during the winter season due to their high energy content and their ability to provide warmth to the body. These dishes often include meat, clarified butter, yogurt, butter, saj bread, and tannour bread, among other ingredients. Notable examples include al-Mulaihiyah, al-Hameesah, al-Fateetah, al-Marqooq, al-Tashreeb, and al-Mahmoos.

Certain traditional dishes in the Northern Borders Province hold a special association with Ramadan, particularly for communal Iftar gatherings among neighbors and families. These include al-Khame’ah, al-Mulaihiyah, al-Mahmoosah, al-Fateetah, as well as Jareesh, al-Marqooq, soup, samosas, Thareed, Luqaimat, al-Mansaf, and al-Qursan.

Al-Khame’ah consists of dates, whole wheat bread, and clarified butter. The bread is cut and mixed with dates, then kneaded with clarified butter and milk. Al-Mahmoosah consists of small to medium pieces of meat fried with onions and pieces of fat, sometimes with the addition of vegetables. It is served with bread. Al-Fateetah is a dish made from clarified butter and bread. The bread is cut into pieces and crumbled in a separate dish, then mixed with clarified butter.

The preparation of baked goods in the Northern Borders Province begins with kneading whole wheat flour into a large disc shape. This disc is then either buried under embers or baked in a heated tannour oven. These two types of bread are locally referred to as Khobz Jamri (ember bread) or al-Arbood, and Khobz Tannour (tannour bread).

In the realm of entertainment festivals, various events are held annually, featuring sections for productive families interested in selling traditional dishes from the Northern Borders Province. One such event is the Turaif Traditional Festival. These sections showcase the efforts of productive families in preparing and presenting traditional dishes in various ways that reflect the culture of each family.