Meet Arabia is a bi-monthly subscription box that includes a curated selection of products, items and experiences shipped all the way from the Middle East. The box is $80 every other month with free shipping worldwide. Each box contains 6-8 items curated around a theme and each item is chosen from different categories to learn more about Arab occasions, social habits, cuisine, history, language, fashion and more!
This month’s theme was Marhaba! or Welcome! I love all the orange going on, it’s warm and welcoming.
The box traveled half-way around the world to get to me, and nothing was broken thanks to the box being well packaged! It took me a while to uncover all the treasures.
Everything in the box (minus the bubble wraps!) I recognize things, but some are new to me!
The first card that came in the box is this lovely welcoming card and introduction to the box. There’s a ton of information on Arab host and guest etiquette. Some of them I knew (and do), some of them are new to me!
The second card is more of a guide to the content of the box than just a list of items. I like how some of the items are grouped into sub-themes like “welcoming coffee” or “getting a room ready for guests”. While reading this card, I felt like I was warmly welcomed into some distant gatherings. Right away, I loved this box.
Tamer (Dates) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A welcoming treat to serve to your guest with coffee.
They are quite juicy and sweet! They were delicious. I’ll keep in mind to offer some (and other dried fruits) with coffee to my guests.
Gahwa (Arabic coffee) from Kuwait. This is not the coffee you get from your french press or anything we are used to. This coffee is spiced with cardamom, cloves, and organic barley. Add a bit of the coffee to boiling water, let it sit a couple of minutes before drinking. You’ll get some coffee at the bottom of your cup, which is normal. If you don’t like it, strain before drinking.
Chai zaffaran (Saffron tea) from Iraq. Lovely tea to be served after a meal.
Fanajeel (coffee cups). Coffee is usually served in small cups with no handle. They are also perfect for tea. I like that we were given two cups, one for the host and one for the guest! Don’t forget to shake your cup once you are done with your coffee or your host will keep on filling it!
Coasters. To keep your furniture coffee stain free, you need coasters! Camels are so cute and I love the orange/sand warm colors. They are lined with suede and they are covered with a glass/plastic with higher borders.
Bukhoor (Incense) from United Arab Emirates. It’s earthy, musky, and very potent. I could smell it before opening the box! The squares are easy to cut apart and are to be used with an incense burner.
Migbas (incense burner) made in China. Although it’s a fun and quite showy incense burner, I was disappointed to see it was made in china. I wished it would have come from or made somewhere in the Middle East.
To use, you burn a charcoal disk (not included in the box, but they are easy to find anywhere) and place it in the burner.
Then, you put a bit of the Bukhoor on it to make a room smell nice!
Mingash (tongs). Quite useful to move charcoals or incense pieces without getting burned!
Marash (Rose water sprinkler). This was one of the items I wasn’t familiar with.
The long part unscrew so you can add the rose water in the reservoir. There are small holes at the top of the long piece from where you sprinkle the water on your hand and your guests. It’s also very pretty!
Persian rug mouse pad. I laughed when I saw this little rug! They couldn’t send us a typical Persian rug in the box, so that was the next best thing! I’m already using it, it’s nice and soft and the colors go well with the whole box.
Evil Eye Beads. This is believed to repel evil and envy and would be found in a lot of Arab homes, so we have a little piece of protection ourselves.
I love and thoroughly enjoyed my welcoming box from Meet Arabia! The mix of items and the information cards made me feel welcomed and made me want to add a bit of these traditions in my own way of welcoming guests. I liked the mix of treats and useful items and the theme was cohesive. I hope that the next couple of box will see more products well known over there, but that we are not familiar with (like the rose water sprinkler).
The theme for next box is Ramadan & Eid and the box is available until May 27th. I’m looking forward to know more about these important celebrations!
What’s your favorite item from this month’s box?
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