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Paradoxically, Ramadan has always been the month of taste, so refined by the long absence of flavors. A love for flavors so strong that it becomes a true language for the faithful, leading to the birth of a thousand thousand unions of aromas.
Careful senses
Absence increases desire and at no time of year is all that visible. Thousands of faithful, historically disinterested in the kitchen, during this month chefs and dieticians improvise, also dedicating several hours to the choice of ingredients. Finally, as in “Pirates of the Caribbean”, they look forward to the long-awaited meal for hours, deciding very carefully which dish to bite first. Magical, then, the nights spent in search of new restaurants, never satisfied for the freshly made meal and anxious about the inevitable passage of time.
Ramadan, precisely for these conditions, can paradoxically be considered the month of flavors, prompting each one to enjoy better and fully what he has, also considering the limited time available. A metaphor for life that leads Muslims all over the world to increase their grocery shopping, precisely during the sacred period.
Middle East cuisine
Also thanks to this unique month of its kind, over the centuries a real sort of “Islamic cuisine” has developed, with dishes that, although belonging to very distant areas of the globe, carry common elements among them. A clear case of all this is the massive presence of sugars in many of the Middle East kitchens, a necessary and fundamental element for those who spend a lot of time on an empty stomach, perhaps even near a desert. Trade and common faith did the rest, bringing people from all corners of the world to sit together at the table, sharing Ramadan’s efforts.
Even today, across the globe, mosques open to the faithful during this month, offering a warm iftar to every traveler and thus renewing this ancient and dear union of flavors. Precisely with these intentions, we have selected 5 different recipes from 5 different places in the Islamic world. Get ready to travel with us and Anissa Helou from Senegal to Bangladesh, in search of always different flavors for your Ramadan.
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