Al Barmah is a traditional earthenware vessel, usually with a wide opening and a suitable base that allows it to stand flat. Its uses varied across different environments but generally included cooking, storing water, keeping milk while it fermented into sour laban, straining laban and distributing it. It was sometimes placed beneath a large hibb (a type of earthenware jar) to collect water seeping through the vessel. It was also used to store ghee or fat, as well as for cooking and reheating food. Smaller barmah vessels were used to prepare broth and harees (traditional crushed wheat dish). Their use was associated with feasts and social occasions, and they remain present today in heritage homes and traditional restaurants that preserve traditional cooking methods.