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The Bedouin had to develop foodstuffs that could travel with
them. In the absence of refrigeration they chose food that walked.
As a result, their diet consisted primarily of meat, milk and dairy produce
from the herds of animals they drove before them.
Sheep and goats are the traditional animals kept on the
fringes of the desert. Goats fare slightly better in the sun as they
can browse on tough vegetation and are more tolerant of dry
conditions.
Goats need water every two days, sheep need to water daily. Both
provide their owners with milk, meat and wool. Numbers of goats
and sheep have to be carefully controlled as too many animals
will destroy desert vegetation irreparably through trampling
and overgrazing.
Tribal feasts are lavish occasions when a sheep is slaughtered and served in a traditional manner. In Bedouin style nothing is wasted, the entire sheep is served up on a bed of rice and the meal is consumed in order - the men eat first, then women and finally children pick at what is left.
Read Lawrence's description of one of these feasts
Water | Food | Shelter | Clothing | Transportation | Navigation | Hospitality
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Foodstuffs had to be portable such as sheep |
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