Tasting some staple foods of Ramadan
- beachmontabroad
- Jul 26, 2017
- 2 min read
While we missed the fasting month of Ramadan and its Eid al-Fitr celebration in Morocco, Ghita (our host in Fez) shared with us some traditional staple foods of the season.
The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic lunar calendar is shorter than the Gregorian calendar typically used in the United States, important holidays on the Islamic calendar occur on different (Gregorian calendar) dates each year. This year, Ramadan begins around May 26 and ended around June 24.
During the month of Ramadan, many Muslims fast during the day (meaning they do not eat any food or drink water from sun-up to sun-down). That fasting, called sawm, is one of the Pillars of Islam. The exact length of the fast each day depends on the pattern of the sun in a given area. Each night in Ramadan, Muslims who are fasting break the fast with prayer and then eat special meals called iftars with friends and family.
Our host Ghita shared with us some of these traditional foods eaten in Morocco during fast-breaking in the month of Ramadam.
Dates are often the first food a person eats during the iftar (fast-breaking) meal each night.
Delicious Harira soup (left) is a common iftar meal during Ramadan. It often has meat, lentils, tomato juice and spices and is served with sweet cookies (left).
Ms. Pollock with a bag of sellou that kept us nourished during our first day in the desert. Sellou is made from flour, honey, almonds and other spices and is usually eaten with a spoon. It contains lots of nutrients for people who are fasting during Ramadan. Thanks, Ghita!
At the end of Ramadan, many Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Eid al-Fitr is one of the major religious celebrations in Islam and is very important in Morocco. During this celebration, Muslims may attend special prayers, wear their most beautiful clothing and visit their friends and families for special meals together.
For more information about Ramadan, please visit this link.
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