Among the many joys of Ramadan are the special foods (usually sweets) that are often exclusively enjoyed during the Islamic holy month.
And best of all, every country the world-over has its own Ramadan treats. Some, like those which belong to cultures of the Arabian subcontinent, are readily available in the UAE. Others, not so much. So if you’re joining the mass exodus of Ramadan travellers this month, be sure to celebrate the seasonal joy and tuck into the local specialties on your travels. And Ramadan Kareem, wherever you’ll be!
Arabian subcontinent
Tamar-hindi
Made from tamarinds (referred to as the ‘Indian dates’ in Arabic), this drink is an ideal thirst quencher to break the fast with. It’s very sweet, with a subtle tang and tastes like something between prunes and dates.
Qatayef
Qatayef is a special dessert popular throughout the Levant, commonly served during Ramadan. These mini-folded pancakes are sometimes filled with nuts and then fried, or stuffed with cheese and fried or baked in the oven. Before serving, they’re drizzled with rose-water infused sugar syrup.
Café Arabia serves homemade tamar-hindi throughout Ramadan, and offers three different variations of their famous qatayef. Café Arabia (02 643 9699).
Asian subcontinent
Pakoras
Available all year round and across South Asia, these greasy snacks are indispensible during Ramadan. Essentially, they are small dumplings made of various vegetables that are dipped in a gram flour batter and deep fried. The onion variety is popular in Bangladesh, packed with coriander and other spices. For pakoras and other Asian Ramadan specialties head to Ushna, though they should be readily available at most of the capital’s Indian and Pakistani restaurants.
Ushna, Souk Qaryat Al Beri (02 558 1769).
Bangladesh
Am-bat/khola-bat
Translating as mango-rice or banana-rice (respectively) this sweet dish is a popular option for suhoor. A bit like a porridge, it is made with white basmati rice, sweet mangoes (or bananas depending on your preference) and cream. The result is delicious, rich and slow-energy release meal.
Indonesia
Cantik Manis
Available all year round, but most popular in Ramadan, cantik manis translates as ‘pretty sweets.’ These are cute little cakes wrapped in banana leaf (traditionally) or plastic sheets. They’re made of mung bean flour and coconut milk and become readily available at evening markets which sell traditional goodies before iftar time. Bandung will have timun suri and other Ramadan special Indonesian sweets available throughout the month, but they seem to have sold out already of the popular cantik manis.
Bandung, Tourist Club Area (02 645 2008).
Timun Suri
One Ramadan favourite in Indonesia is a beverage made out of timun suri (or lemon cucumber). This is a sweet melon-like cucumber-come-gourd fruit that turns into the most sought after ingredient during the fasting month, thanks to its refreshing qualities. The timun suri iced beverage, local to Jakarta, is made of syrup and large chunks of the sweet cucumber, which has a tender spongy texture and melts in your mouth.
Morocco
Harira
This traditional Berber soup is the ideal fast-breaker. It contains a small amount of meat (chicken or lamb), but is mostly made of chickpeas, lentils, onions tomatoes and various herbs. Some variations include vermicelli. It’s packed with the robust flavours of fresh herbs and is a wholesome iftar favourite.
Chebakia
Halwa chebakia is a flower-shaped Moroccan biscuit usually made with generous quantities of toasted unhulled sesame seeds, saffron, orange blossom water and honey. It’s very popular in Ramadan and is also served on special occasions.
For Moroccan Ramadan specialties in the capital try Agadir, Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa (02 445 9600) or Marakesh, Millenium Hotel (02 614 6020).
Tunisia
Breek
This Tunisian pastry dish is a thin filo pastry parcel filled with cheese, capers, parsley and a cracked egg. Some varieties also add tuna. The parcel is shallow fried and served with a squeeze of lemon juice. Bite into it and the yolk comes oozing out.
Turkey
Baklava
The same basic concept as the baklava you get out here, the Turkish version is different in that it’s sweeter and more moist – owing to a generous use of sugar syrup. Did we say generous? We meant it’s dripping in the stuff! The Turks are so big on their baklava, you can even find diet options available across the country, for weight watchers who can’t resist.
Güllaç
All kinds of sweets are served during iftar in Turkey, but Ramadan without güllaç is unthinkable. This is a milky, sweet dish made with very thin layers of rice-paper. The rice paper is soaked in sweet milk, infused with rose-water and stacked on top of each other with ground nuts in between the layers. It’s near impossible to get güllaç wafers outside of the holy-month, though we’ve heard rumours of grocery stores in big cities, which stock the stuff year-round.
