The most delicious part of a new culture is eating it.

Egyptian style pigeon is the most interesting dish I’ve had so far. It’s a pigeon stuffed with rice, sitting on a bed of rice and meat. But, the meat underneath it is not just regular pigeon meat, it’s actually the pigeon’s organs. It’s delicious!

Other dishes include camel burgers, date milkshakes, and camel milk milkshakes. Lebnah is a sort of cheese often put on bread with other seasonings, and tastes great! Also, mango juice. Try it. I’m never going back to orange juice. Shawarma is another suggestion for Middle Eastern food, and lamb is much more popular here than back home. As for drinks, Shey Halib is tea with milk and other spices in it, usually served hot.

For those missing American favorites, it’s actually easier to find burgers and fries in the Emirates than Middle Eastern food, since Western restaurants have a larger presence than Arab ones. There’s a Burger King, Subway, and Starbucks on AUS campus, and the closest mall has McDonalds and KFC. But, if you avoid restaurants you know from back home, food can be much cheaper here. A full meal costs around $3.50 on-campus, with home delivery restaurants taking the cheap-food crown.

Ordering food over the telephone is popular, with many restaurants located near campus offering free home delivery, even if your order is only 10 dirhams (less than $3). iHungry.ae has menus from some restaurants offering free home delivery to AUS campus.