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Stuffed Camel: Fact or Fiction

By Saad Fayed, About.com

Question: Stuffed Camel: Fact or Fiction

"I recently read a recipe for a stuffed camel. It called for a lot of ingredients. Can you please give me the recipe if it is indeed a true recipe?"

Answer: Ahhhh, the lore of stuffed camels. The recipe that i think you are speaking of calls for the following:

  • 1 whole camel, medium size 1 whole lamb, large size
  • 20 whole chickens, medium size
  • 60 eggs
  • 12 kilos rice
  • 2 kilos pine nuts
  • 2 kilos almonds
  • 1 kilo pistachio nuts
  • 110 gallons water
  • 5 pounds black pepper
  • Salt to taste


  • Skin, trim and clean camel (once you get over the hump), lamb and chicken. Boil until tender. Cook rice until fluffy. Fry nuts until brown and mix with rice. Hard boil eggs and peel. Stuff cooked chickens with hard boiled eggs and rice. Stuff the cooked lamb with stuffed chickens. Add more rice. Stuff the camel with the stuffed lamb and add rest of rice. Broil over large charcoal pit until brown. Spread any remaining rice on large tray and place camel on top of rice. Decorate with boiled eggs and nuts. Serves friendly crowd of 80-100.

    Fact or Fiction

    I will tell you off the bat that I am completely unsure. This is one of those urban legend type things that I cannot separate fact from fiction.

    I can tell you that I have never consumed stuffed camel, or witnessed it's preparation (although it would be quite interesting to see how they boil this massive, stuffed animal; I know I certainly don't have that type of kitchen space).

    I do know that camel is consumed by some. It is easily feasible to think that it could be spit roasted. But, stuffed and boiled? I am not quite sure of that.

    If you have ever eaten stuffed camel or have seen its preparation, let us know! Send an email to mideastfood.guide@about.com. We would love to hear your story!

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