Saudi Food History and Culture: A focus on Hejazi food traditions

Abstract

The Hejaz region, located in the west of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is known for its cultural diversity. It is especially seen in modern Hejazi cuisine's wide range of integrated dishes. However, With the exposure of modern technologies, globalization, and the emergence and development of the Kingdom, history is being overlooked, leaving only traces of the culinary tradition and culture to the recent generations. This research concentrates on the region of Hejaz as it is now the second most visited area of the kingdom after the capital city, Riyadh. It is crucial to focus on this region to appreciate the external cultural influences that arose hundreds of years ago with the arrival of pilgrims for religious reasons and the continuation of these influences brought by modern-day expats. The goal of this paper is to understand the food culture and traditions of Hejaz and how they have been changing over time. Qualitative research has been conducted to point out and further clarify today’s result of the influence from different aspects including the perspectives of citizens with Hejazi origins and expats who were brought up in the area. Personal interviews were done in a storytelling manner by including questions about their background and knowledge of the region to pinpoint the root of their opinion and others that enabled them to be descriptive about their memories and experiences connecting to certain Hejazi dishes. The collective result was the observation of the contrast in knowledge between generations and what food signifies to the society. In conclusion, the gastronomic culture has been and will always be the focal point of the identity and representation of the Hejazi region.