The holy month of Ramadan is a friendly guest that visits Muslims around the world yearly. It is a religious month where Muslims fast for long hours and it is part of the five pillars of Islam that each Muslim must abide by.
As the sun sets, Muslims break their fast with a meal known as 'Iftar' and each Arab country has its traditional Ramadan dishes that distinguish it from its neighbouring countries.
Despite the different kitchens, some dishes are shared by all countries.
Few of these must haves are dates, soups mainly lentils and noodles, salads like Tabbouli and Fattoush, and pastries like spring rolls.
Here are some of the dishes that are unique to each country:
The Iraqi Dolma:
This is a popular Iraqi dish that made of vine leaves and stuffed zucchini. Although this dish is found in other countries, what distinguishes it as an Iraqi delicacy is the use of the pomegranate sauce and tamarind.
The Jordanian Mansaf:
It is a dish that is unique to Jordanians and consists of rice, chicken and meat. It is prepared with a special dried yogurt called Jameed.
Palestinian Musakhan:
It is a Palestinian traditional dish made up of special bread prepared in a wooden oven, with chicken, onion, olive oil and Summack.
Syrian Kibbeh:
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This dish is always present on the Syrian dining table during Ramadan. It consists of Burghal or crushed wheats and meat.
Moroccan Tajine:
A healthy meal consisting of chicken with special spices including ginger, cinnamon and saffron.
Lebanese Fatta:
It is a Ramadan recipe that is available throughout the month on the Lebanese menu and consists of baked bread, chickpeas, yoghurt and garlic. Some like to add meat or eggplant to it.
Egyptian Koshary:
It is a popular Egyptian dish characterized by its low cost and high nutritional value. It consists of lentils, chickpeas, rice, pasta, fried onions and a special spiced tomato sauce.
After breaking the fast and eating dinner, sweets is a must have to provide fasters with the energy needed to endure the following fasting day. Among the most famous Ramadan sweets are Qatayef, Kallaj, Karabeej and many other dishes.
With the different dishes made in Ramadan and different customs and traditions practised in different countries, gathering as a family and sharing the delicious food remains the main characteristic of this holy month.
