Food of Ramadan
Traditionally, Muslims end their fasts with water and dates or juice and dates. This is because after a long day of fasting, the body’s blood sugar levels are low and the intake of sugar brings the blood sugar levels to normal.
Full of Goodness
Dates are not only a good and easily digested source of sugar, but they are full of a variety of nutrients:
- Dates are a great source of potassium – which helps muscles work properly, magnesium and manganese – both of which aid in the proper growth and maintenance of bones, copper - which helps in metabolising iron and in red cell formation, dietary fibre – which helps keep the digestive track healthy, folate – which is vital for cell development, vitamin C – which helps strengthen the immune system , B6 – which is important for the nervous system and the break down of proteins and pantothenic acid – which is important for fatty acid metabolism. Research has also shown that dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer.
Traditional Fare
After ending their fast, Muslims have a normal meal. In the UAE, the traditional iftar food include hares, which is made of wheat, grains and meat, which are slowly cooked on low fire, Machboos, which is a meat and rice dish with special spices and dried lemon and Thareed (or Fareed), which is a meat and vegetable stew with traditional bread (Raqaq).
Just Dessert
One of the most famous Emirati desserts, which is also most commonly eaten in Ramadan is Lukaimat. These are fried dough balls, doused with date syrup.
Popular Drinks
Laban (buttermilk) is one of the most popular Emirati traditional Ramadan drinks. Tamarind juice, Qamar Al Din (dried apricot juice), various spice infused teas and a brad of readymade concentrated juice, which is heavily consumed during Ramadan all over the GCC, are also favorites during the holy month.
Ramadan Entertainment Tents
A large number of restaurants across the UAE create special menus or buffets and many also have special offers on especially for Ramadan. Traditionally adorned iftar and suhour tents are not the same as the charity iftar tents which offer food to people who may not have anywhere else to go. These tents are usually set up by hotels or restaurants and offer lavish iftar buffets, entertainment as well as live Arabic music and gaming consoles, refreshments, shisha and of course, suhour. Ramadan tents usually open at iftar and close sometime before Al Fajr prayer.
Price Control
The UAE’s Ministry of Economy called on retailers to significantly reduce prices of basic commodities by 20 to 50 percent as Ramadan approached, as food prices usually soar weeks before the arrival of the fasting month. Last May, the ministry also announced that around 400 essential products would have fixed prices until the end of the year.
Ramadan Health Tips
- Make sure you get your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables
- Make sure to drink enough water in the time between iftar and suhour to avoid dehydration
- Try to minimise your sugar intake, so as not to get thirsty
- Avoid spicy food
- Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, cola and tea. Caffeine is a diuretic.
- Eat food containing complex carbohydrates during suhour as they take longer to digest. Legumes, vegetables and pasta are good sources.
Food Wastage:
The Quran states: “O children of Adam , take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, he likes not those who commit excess”. Wasting food is considered sinful and is counterproductive especially during the month, where Muslims try to get especially during the month, where Muslims try to get closer to Allah. During Ramadan 500 tonnes of food gets thrown away by hotels and restaurants in Abu Dhabi alone. One should actively try to reduce the amount of personal leftover food.
Tips on How to Reduce Food Wastage:
Traditionally, Muslims end their fasts with water and dates or juice and dates. This is because after a long day of fasting, the body’s blood sugar levels are low and the intake of sugar brings the blood sugar levels to normal.
Full of Goodness
- Dates are a great source of potassium – which helps muscles work properly, magnesium and manganese – both of which aid in the proper growth and maintenance of bones, copper - which helps in metabolising iron and in red cell formation, dietary fibre – which helps keep the digestive track healthy, folate – which is vital for cell development, vitamin C – which helps strengthen the immune system , B6 – which is important for the nervous system and the break down of proteins and pantothenic acid – which is important for fatty acid metabolism. Research has also shown that dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer.
Traditional Fare
After ending their fast, Muslims have a normal meal. In the UAE, the traditional iftar food include hares, which is made of wheat, grains and meat, which are slowly cooked on low fire, Machboos, which is a meat and rice dish with special spices and dried lemon and Thareed (or Fareed), which is a meat and vegetable stew with traditional bread (Raqaq).
Just Dessert
Popular Drinks
Laban (buttermilk) is one of the most popular Emirati traditional Ramadan drinks. Tamarind juice, Qamar Al Din (dried apricot juice), various spice infused teas and a brad of readymade concentrated juice, which is heavily consumed during Ramadan all over the GCC, are also favorites during the holy month.
Ramadan Entertainment Tents
Price Control
The UAE’s Ministry of Economy called on retailers to significantly reduce prices of basic commodities by 20 to 50 percent as Ramadan approached, as food prices usually soar weeks before the arrival of the fasting month. Last May, the ministry also announced that around 400 essential products would have fixed prices until the end of the year.
Ramadan Health Tips
- Make sure you get your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables
- Make sure to drink enough water in the time between iftar and suhour to avoid dehydration
- Try to minimise your sugar intake, so as not to get thirsty
- Avoid spicy food
- Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, cola and tea. Caffeine is a diuretic.
- Eat food containing complex carbohydrates during suhour as they take longer to digest. Legumes, vegetables and pasta are good sources.
Food Wastage:
The Quran states: “O children of Adam , take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, he likes not those who commit excess”. Wasting food is considered sinful and is counterproductive especially during the month, where Muslims try to get especially during the month, where Muslims try to get closer to Allah. During Ramadan 500 tonnes of food gets thrown away by hotels and restaurants in Abu Dhabi alone. One should actively try to reduce the amount of personal leftover food.
Tips on How to Reduce Food Wastage:
- Do not throw away leftover food; pack it and give it to those less fortunate or to the mosque.
- Do not cook more than you or your family needs.
- While at an iftar or suhour buffet, do not pile excess food on your plate that you would not be able to finish.
- If you are going to have a large banquet and might have excess food, contact a charity organisation that collects leftover food from large gatherings and give it to needy family; Hefth Al Ne’ma which is part of the UAE Red Crescent Authority is one.
Source: Gulf Newspaper
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