Ful Medames (فول مدمس), or Stewed Fava Beans with Herbs and Spices at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha, Qatar

Ful Medames (فول مدمس), or Stewed Fava Beans with Spices

by Radisson Blu, Doha, Qatar

On my first morning in Doha, Qatar, I stepped into the restaurant at the Radisson Blu for my complimentary breakfast. My flight had been delayed, and Qatar Airways had very kindly compensated me for the night at a hotel in the country's capital.

The breakfast was fairly standard hotel fare with one exception: there was, of course, no bacon nor pork sausage. Qatar is an Islamic country, after all, and pork is not allowed.

Instead, I had a wonderful halal breakfast of bread, cheese, eggs, beef sausage, and ful medames.

Ful medames is a traditional Arabic dish which dates back thousands of years, perhaps to Ptolemaic Egypt, though historical accounts vary, and consists of stewed fava beans served with tomatoes, onions, herbs and spices, and a sliver of lemon.

Ful Medames at the Radisson Blu, Doha, Qatar

Ful medames is traditionally prepared in large communal pots, sometimes simmering overnight in stone cauldrons buried in hot ashes. Over centuries, it has evolved into a national Arabic comfort food. The flavor is earthy and rich and is a super filling way to start the morning.

Location

I had this breakfast at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha, Qatar. It can be found all across Qatar and the Middle East as a very popular breakfast food.