Souq Waqif, which means ‘the standing market’, is a traditional marketplace situated in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The market is hundreds of years old, and went through a renovation in 2006 to rejuvenate it while preserving its antique and distinctly Qatari architecture. The marketplace as it stands today is an essential part of any Doha city tour and even contains various boutique hotels such as the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels.
One thing that has always been popular within Souq Waqif is the traditional crepe, served here by hard-working Qatari women. They are usually prepared along the various walkways by veiled woman seated behind a hotplate with a variety of condiments. The crepe itself is prepared by placing a dollop of dough on the hotplate and then spreading it with a spoon till it becomes thin. Once the crepe is just about ready, the desired topping or filling is incorporated into it. Once that has been done, the large circular delicacy is folded until it resembles a triangle.
The most popular crepe is the Nutella variant where a generous amount of the beloved chocolate paste is incorporated into the centre of the crepe and then folded to form a compact crispy pouch with a chocolate filling. A healthier sweet variant of this is where honey is used instead of Nutella before being folded in the same manner.
There’s a wide variety of savoury crepes available as well, but the fillings vary from vendor to vendor. Cheese is a very common filling, and traditional cheeses such as haloumi or labneh are the most commonly utilised. The cheese and egg combination is bound to be commonly found across many stalls, as well as the option to accompany it with some Tabasco.
These spectacular snacks are an essential indulgence if you ever find yourself in Doha, or the iconic Souq Waqif.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+