Authentic Arabic Desserts to try during UAE National Day

UAE is a place famous for its wealth, fancy cars, and exotic pet animals. But, what more does our beautiful country entail? Many tourists visit us every year for two reasons: For desert and desserts. Yes! This is a place that thrives with amazing Arabic desserts whose recipes the Arabs have preserved for centuries.

As our Emirati brothers and sisters celebrate UAE National Day on December 2nd, we have decided to put together a list of authentic Arabian desserts that you should try on that day. There are places all over the country that serve these dishes. Most of them have amazing discounts for you to enjoy on UAE National Day. So, do not miss out!

Layali Lubnan:

Layali Lubanan is primarily a Lebanese dish. But, its Arabic versions are popular all over the Middle East. Their base is a soft semolina-based pudding topped with thick cream. That is enough to get me drooling, but there’s more. It also has pistachios on the top to give it a nice scent and a crunchy texture. It is usually served with a sugar syrup made with rose and orange blossoms that give it an extraordinary scent. Plus, it is also pretty easy to make.

Rose Mehalabya:

This authentic Arabian dessert has many similar ingredients to Layali Lubnan. It has pistachios, rose and orange blossoms to add fragrance and flavour. But, the main difference is that this is a form of milk pudding with a jelly-like texture. Apart from the other ingredients, there are also flavours like vanilla, cardamom, and other types that you can choose from. Unlike other sweet desserts, this one won’t weigh you down. It will give you the energy to enjoy the National Day to the fullest.

Aish El Saraya:

This one is the definition of the perfect dessert. It satisfies every kind of dessert lover. The dessert has a soft pudding base, creamy middle layer, and an extra creamy topping filled with dry fruits and nuts for crispiness. Furthermore, you can make this very easily at home. So, it will surely be a delightful creamy surprise for your family members on National Day.

Kanafeh:

Listen, my goal is not to tempt you badly, but this one will surely do the trick. This one has a delicious layer of hot cheddar cheese! Kanafeh is not extremely sweet and has a creamy texture through and through. According to history, this dessert hailed from a 7th-century Syrian city. What makes it even more interesting is that it gets soaked in sugar syrup, but doesn’t give out a strong sweet flavor. Just like other desserts on this list, this one has pistachios on top of it to improve the overall taste.

Baklava:

Many presume that this dessert originated from ancient Greek. But, this is purely a Middle Eastern delicacy. They are very small and once you taste them, you cannot stop! There are many forms of Baklava in existence. However, the form that has international prominence is the simple flat layered version. You can choose from a variety of fillings like cheese, crushed nuts, dry fruits, and many others. The main layers, however, are flaky pastry. Finally, everything together gets dipped in honey and baked at medium heat. A popular garnishing option is again pistachios, but you can experiment with things like hazelnut and even chocolate chips.

Atayef:

Why limit eating this extremely delicious dessert during the time of Ramadan, when you can celebrate National Day with it. Many call them the Middle Eastern pancakes. But, I beg to differ. These are supreme to pancakes in every way. They either have cheese fillings or fried nut fillings. The whole thing is then fried in medium heat. Then, you soak it in a sugar syrup enhanced with rose flavour. Finally, you can again top it with crushed pistachios for that crunchy texture.

Znoud el Sit:

This authentic Arabic dessert is popular among tourists. And for a very good reason. They have a crunchy outer layer and dewy, cream-filled inner fillings. What makes the insides so creamy is the special thing called Ashta. It is a flavour-rich clotted thick cream popular in Middle Eastern countries.

Ma’amul Cookies:

We cannot do a list of authentic Arabic desserts without including the Ma’amul cookies. They are so popular during the Holy month of Ramadan. And people often see them as a symbol of spreading love and kindness. These cookies contain nuts, dates, and other healthy ingredients. Icing sugar gets sprinkled on top for adding extra sweetness to the already sweet cookies.

Finally…

What more can you do on UAE National Day? You can sit comfortably in your home, tasting these delicacies and earning money through The Panel Station’s survey. We have made a detailed article about how you can become a panellist and earn by taking surveys. Thousands of people from all over the world join us every month to earn exciting rewards. Already a panellist and want to earn more? Follow us on our social media. We conduct contests and simple games through which you can earn more points!