ABSTRACT
The first chapter gives a short outline of the southern Omani cultures in the Dhofar region, the author’s work as an ethnographer and a concise bibliography. The specific focus is the foodways of one group of tribes, hakli, who speak an unwritten Modern South Arabian language called Gibali (Jebbali/ Shahri), in addition to Arabic. The chapter begins with an ethnographic example of foodways at a typical Gibali wedding, then gives a brief historical, linguistic and cultural overview of Dhofar. The methodology is explained, including reflections on working with Gibalis and the work’s limitations. There is a short, annotated bibliography and brief comparisons between foodways in Dhofar and other Arabian Peninsula countries, including Yemen.
