Oman is not, it must be said, the best country for a vegetarian. Although there are wonderful salad-type things around (tabbouleh, fattouch and so on), they’re considered a mere prelude to a big hunk of mutton. Sitting down in a restaurant and having just the starters requires a bit of negotiation. Technology comes to the rescue however:
Behold, a tin of baba ghanoush, accompanied by freshly-baked pitta bread (20p for a bag). Not a gourmet meal, but nice to have in the cupboard with some olive oil when I get home from work.
As for drinking:
On the left, a product which should have the prime minister of Bavaria contemplating legal action: 0.0% alcoholic ‘malt drink’, produced in Holland of all places. It’s not actively unpleasant as long as one doesn’t think of it as beer, but it’s still something that really shouldn’t exist. Beside it, however, is the wonderful invention of laban. A kind of sour milk/yoghurt drink, it’s particularly refreshing in its cumin-flavoured variety.
And just for a cheap laugh:
My learning for the day: ‘foul’ is an Arabic term for fava beans.
I’m glad to know you’re not starving. And I like the sound of laban.