Afghanistan has an Indian-style cuisine, based mostly on rice. Naan bread is eaten with most meals. Most modern restaurants in Kabul offer international cuisine as well as Afghan specialities.

Things to know: Afghan dishes can be very good, but spicy. Vegetarians are not well catered for in Afghanistan. Cutlery is not normally used, and food is eaten with the right hand, often using naan bread as a scoop.

National specialities:
• Pulao (steamed rice with raisins and carrots, usually served with a side dish of meat, vegetables or beans).
• Qabli pulao (A popular variant of pulao served with lamb, sometimes mistakenly called Kabuli pulao).
• Shorma (soup).
• Afghanis eat plenty of seasonal fruit, most notably melons from Mazar-e Sharif and Maimana, grapes and pomegranates from Kandahar, and oranges from Jalalabad.

  National drinks:

• The most common drink is tea (chai).
• Dugh (yoghurt flavoured with rose water and salt).

Tipping: Service is normally included.

Good buys include Turkman hats, Kandahar embroidery, Istaff pottery, local glassware from Herat, nomad jewellery, handmade carpets and rugs, Nuristani woodcarving, silkware, brass, copper and the ubiquitous rug. Note: Many craft items may only be exported under licence. Shopping hours: Generally Sat-Wed 0800-1200 and 1300-1630, Thurs 0800-1330.