kabsa

{{Infobox food

| name = Kabsa

| image = Machboos (cropped).JPG

| caption =

| alternate_name = {{langx|ar|كبسة}}

| course = Meal

| served =

| main_ingredient = Rice (usually long-grain, almost always basmati), chicken, vegetables, and a mixture of spices (cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves and nutmeg)

| variations = Machboos ({{langx|ar|مكبوس/مچبوس|makbūs/machbūs}})

| other =

| name_lang = ar

| place_of_origin =

}}

Kabsa ({{langx|ar|كبسة|kabsah}}), also known as Makboos ({{langx|afb|مكبوس}}) or Machboos ({{langx|afb|المجبوس|link=no}} {{IPA|[mɑtʃˈbuːs]}}) is an Arab mixed rice dish that originates from Saudi Arabia{{Cite web |date=2022-05-27 |title=Al Kabsa - Ancient Arabian Chicken and Fragrant Rice Recipe - Food.com |url=https://www.food.com/recipe/al-kabsa-ancient-arabian-chicken-and-fragrant-rice-290003 |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Food.com |quote=This classic Arabian dish is Saudi Arabian in origin |archive-date=2022-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527060617/https://www.food.com/recipe/al-kabsa-ancient-arabian-chicken-and-fragrant-rice-290003 |url-status=bot: unknown }} or Yemen.{{Cite book |last=Edwards |first=Grace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wtzoEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT111 |title=Saudi Arabia |date=2023-12-19 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |isbn=978-1-80469-237-0 |pages=111 |language=en |quote=Kabsa is the national dish of Saudi Arabia, though it originates from Yemen and is eaten throughout the Arabian Peninsula.}} It is commonly regarded as a national dish in all the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It can also be found in regions such as southern Iran and Gaza in Palestine.{{cite book |title=Feast: Food of the Islamic World|author=Anissa Helou|date=4 October 2018|publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781526605566|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z6dvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT389}}

History

The dish's origins are contested, with several theories as to its origin. It is believed that the Kabsa was prepared by Bedouin tribes who roamed the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. They relied on simple and readily available ingredients: rice, meat (usually lamb or chicken), and a blend of spices. Another theory is that the Kabsa is inspired from another Yemeni dish, the mandi, a rice dish cooked with meat in a pit.{{Cite web |title=Kabsa Saudi Arabia's Culinary Crown Jewel |url=https://sauditimes.org/insights/culture/kabsa-the-dish-at-the-heart-of-saudi-cuisine/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=sauditimes.org |language=en}} A third theory says that the dish was inspired from the Paella, a Spanish rice dish that used to be prepared by the Andalusians.{{Cite news |title=لا .. الكبسة ليست سعودية الجذور |url=https://www.alriyadh.com/275075 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250508123342/https://www.alriyadh.com/275075 |archive-date=2025-05-08 |access-date=2025-05-13 |work=جريدة الرياض |language=ar}}

Over time, as trade routes expanded and new ingredients became accessible, variations of kabsa began to emerge. Each region in Saudi Arabia has its own version of kabsa. Despite these differences, the essence remains—the combination of rice, meat, and aromatic spices.{{Cite web |last=Keliher |first=Irene |date=2023-09-27 |title=Kabsa: The Iconic Dish as Prepared in Saudi Arabia |url=https://blog.remitly.com/lifestyle-culture/nationaldishes-kabsa-fascinating-facts-saudi-arabia/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Beyond Borders |language=en-US}}{{bsn|date=May 2025}}

In 2021, the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia, announced an initiative to promote Kabsa as part of its national heritage.

Etymology

The name comes from the arabic root k-b-s ({{langx|ar|ك ب س}}), literally meaning to press or squeeze, alluding to the technique used in the cooking where the ingredients are all cooked in (or "squeezed into") one pot.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Ingredients

File:الكبسة الفلسطينية.jpg kabsa, consisting of rice, vegetables, and some spices added to it. It is served with grilled chicken.]]

These dishes, of which there are many variations, are usually made with rice (usually basmati), meat, vegetables, and a mixture of spices.

Pre-mixed kabsa spices are now available under several brand names. These reduce preparation time, but may have a flavor distinct from traditional kabsa. The spices used in kabsa are largely responsible for its taste; these are generally black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, black lime, bay leaves and nutmeg.{{cite web|title=Al Kabsa - Traditional Rice dish|url=http://www.food.com/recipe/al-kabsa-traditional-saudi-rice-chicken-dish-289878|work=Food.com|access-date=23 June 2012}}

The main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat. The meats used are usually chicken, goat, lamb, camel, beef, fish or shrimp. In chicken machbūs, a whole chicken is used.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The spices, rice, and meat may be augmented with almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, onions, and sultanas.{{cite web|title=How to Make Kabsa|url=http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Kabsa|access-date=23 June 2012|archive-date=17 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217101843/http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Kabsa|url-status=dead}} The dish can be garnished with ḥashū ({{langx|ar|حشو}}) and served hot with daqqūs ({{langx|ar|دقّوس}}), which is a home-made Arabic tomato sauce.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Methods of cooking

File:Chicken Mandi Rice مندي دجاج.JPG is one of the most popular ways of eating this dish. It originates from Yemen.{{Cite book |last=Salloum |first=Habeeb |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/782879761 |title=The Arabian nights cookbook : from lamb kebabs to baba ghanouj, delicious homestyle Arabian cooking |date=2010 |publisher=Tuttle Pub |others=Suan I. Lim |isbn=978-1-4629-0524-9 |location=Tokyo |oclc=782879761}}]]

Meat for kabsa can be cooked in various ways. A popular way of preparing meat is called mandi. This ancient technique originates from Yemen, and involves a type of earth oven called the {{Transliteration|ar|tannor|}}, whereby a whole lamb meat is barbecued in a deep hole in the ground that is then covered while the meat cooks.{{cite book |author=Anissa Helou |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z6dvDwAAQBAJ&q=mandi&pg=PT389 |title=Feast: Food of the Islamic World |date=4 October 2018 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=9781526605566}} Another way of preparing and serving meat for kabsa is mathbi, where seasoned meat is grilled on flat stones that are placed on top of burning embers. A third technique, madghūt, involves cooking the meat in a pressure cooker.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}