Baby camel burgers may be the latest craze among a segment of fast food lovers, particularly in Riyadh, but hotels here show little enthusiasm for placing camel meat on their menus. A fast food restaurant in Riyadh recently launched what it calls ‘Hashi' Baby Camel burgers which it claimed was an instant hit. However, one of the owners of the Riyadh restaurant admitted that the launch of the new camel burger was to test the market. “The offer of camel meat, especially as a burger, is a novelty. It could appeal to some fast food customers, but it is not, as yet, in local hotels,” the food and beverage manager of a five-star hotel in Dammam said. “Camel meat has been eaten by local people for years. But we in the hotel business have yet to receive a request from clients, including Saudis, that we should consider including camel meat in regular dishes,” another F&B manager in Al-Khobar said. The F&B manager of another five-star hotel in Al-Ahsa, where camels are largely bred, said his hotel has yet to find customers interested in camel meat. “For as long as this hotel has been here, we have never had guests asking for camel meat,” he said. Camel meat is low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein. It can be grilled, roasted and made into soup. The National Heart Foundation of Australia, for example, has even recognized camel meat as a healthy food. In Australia, camel sausages are very popular. Sold as halal food, camel meat is now in market chains around the world – in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, according to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service Meat Orders. King Faisal University (KFU) in Al-Ahsa has been undertaking camel research programs ever since its Camel Research Center was established 30 years ago. One of the objectives of the center is to improve the quality of camel meat by studying and developing the nutritional requirements of the animal. The other objectives of the research center are the improvement of the genetic structure, reproductive performance and fertility of Arabian camels; the control and prevention of camel diseases; and the improvement in the medical treatment of the animal, including surgery technology. “Camel meat, like other meat, is certainly a welcome menu fare, but it hasn't reached the point where its acceptance is universal. It is probably the fact that it is a domesticated animal associated with a certain culture and tradition that holds people's interest,” a Western chef of a five-star hotel in Al
