Camel meat, the original red meat.
Camel is the original sustainable red meat: raised on arid land, on a fraction of the water cattle demand, with less fat and more iron per gram. A camel patty carries about 22g of protein with roughly 40% less fat than beef, and camel farming uses around 70% less water. At HUMP we source free-range, fully halal camel and treat it the way the Bedouin always did: over fire, with spice, without shortcuts. That is what we are bringing to the UAE, one burger at a time.
Every patty is 100% halal camel meat, hand-ground daily and grilled over an open flame.
Camel vs beef, per 100g of raw lean meat
| Per 100g | Camel | Beef |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 110 to 140 kcal | 170 to 250 kcal |
| Protein | 19 to 20 g | 17 to 20 g |
| Total fat | 1.4 to 3 g | 4 to 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 50 to 61 mg | 59 to 73 mg |
| Iron | 2 to 2.8 mg | 1.9 to 2.6 mg |
Conservative ranges for raw lean meat, drawn from FAO data, USDA FoodData Central and the peer-reviewed review by Kadim et al. (2008, Meat Science). Values vary with cut and animal age.
*Brand estimates based on published camel-meat nutrition studies.
What does a camel burger taste like?
A camel burger tastes close to lean beef with a cleaner, slightly sweet finish. The meat is lower in fat, so the flavor reads brighter and less greasy, and a well-seared patty stays juicy while eating lighter than beef. Expect the first bite to taste familiar, and the finish noticeably cleaner.
Our own tasting notes, from patties hand-ground in our kitchen: raw, the meat is a deep red from its extra iron. On the grill it takes a hard sear fast, because there is little fat to melt off, so we pull it earlier than beef and rest it longer. The first bite is beef-adjacent; the finish is where camel shows itself, with a faint sweetness we lean into with date chutney and a mineral depth that stands up to harissa and sumac.
The original red meat of the region
Long before refrigeration reached the Gulf, camel was the meat that made sense: an animal that thrives on arid land, walks to water and turns scrub into protein. Bedouin tables served it slow-cooked for weddings and Eid, and caravans across the Silk Road ran on it for two thousand years. Choosing camel today is not a novelty, it is a return. In the Emirates the animal still holds that standing: racing camels, beauty contests at the Al Dhafra Festival on the edge of the Empty Quarter, and herds that families pass down the way others pass down land.
It is also the sustainable choice. Camel farming uses around 70% less water than cattle, and the herds we buy from graze free on land no feedlot could use. We buy whole animals from herders in the Al Dhafra region, which keeps the supply chain short and traceable, keeps the value with the families who raise the herds, and gives our kitchen cuts most restaurants never see. Same desert, same animal, new format.
The taste for it never faded. Across the Gulf today, camel meat still anchors celebration menus, from hashi restaurants in Saudi Arabia to festive tables in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. What changed is the format: the same meat that fed caravans now fits a brioche, and travels just as well.
How we cook a lean meat
Lean is a gift and a test. With less fat than beef, camel rewards a hot, fast sear and punishes neglect. We hand-grind daily for an open texture, smash or shape patties per recipe, season simply and grill over open flame. Cheddar, aioli and chutney do the richness; the camel does the flavor. On doneness, we cook patties to a juicy medium rather than the well-done default many kitchens hide behind: camel is at its best just past pink, when the sear has built a crust and the center still holds its moisture. Treat it the way you would a good lean steak and it repays you.
Every gram we serve is halal: read how we source on the halal page.
100% halal camel meat. Certification details shared at opening