Verified in 2 cities.
Chebab are soft, holey Emirati pancakes scented with saffron and cardamom, served at breakfast with date syrup, honey and cheese; in United Arab Emirates we have verified places to eat it in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Chebab are soft, holey Emirati pancakes scented with saffron and cardamom, served at breakfast with date syrup, honey and cheese. Several Abu Dhabi kitchens make them.
Chebab, also spelled chabab, is an Emirati breakfast pancake made from a flowing batter of yeast, sugar, eggs, saffron and cardamom, cooked on a hot plate until its surface is covered in holes. The Michelin Guide, in September 2025, said it is believed to be more than 500 years old and that it was a staple for pearl divers and sailors. Accounts of Emirati cuisine list it among the breakfast breads with ragag and khameer, served with cheese, date syrup or eggs. Families also make it for Eid and for suhoor in Ramadan.
Where to eat in Abu Dhabi:
Where to eat Chebab in Abu Dhabi: the editor picks
Chebab is the Emirati breakfast pancake: a saffron and turmeric batter poured thin on a hot plate, lacy at the edges, folded around cream cheese and date syrup.
Chebab is the Gulf answer to a pancake, leavened with yeast rather than baking powder and coloured yellow by turmeric and saffron rather than egg. It was cooked on a flat iron tawa over coals, which is why the underside carries the pitted, lacy look of a crumpet and the top stays pale. Fennel or cardamom goes into the batter depending on the household. In Dubai it is breakfast food sold beside khameer bread and balaleet, served with cream cheese, honey or dibs. Modern Emirati cafes have pushed it into all day menus.
Where to eat in Dubai:
Where to eat Chebab in Dubai: the editor picks
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