Ramadhan is a time when families and communities gather in faith and reflection. But it is also a time when each member of a family gets involved in the process of putting together a memorable iftar. These are usually based on well-known family recipes which continue to be handed down to subsequent generations. Often, these recipes are about more than just food – they are moments and stories which evoke nostalgia and trips down memory lane.
Typically, the Ramadhan month gathers communities together as dishes are made to be shared while children help with smaller activities like setting the iftar table and making decorations.
Preparing food involves everybody: from bringing the raw material from the market to sieving, pounding, shaping and frying, the entire process is a story in itself.
Our grandmothers may not have the terminology for it, but visual storytelling has always been around. For most families, kitchens are often where families gravitate, where most childhood memories reside. In Ramadhan, this is heightened with lively commotion, chattering and communal activity. This is the stuff of which memories are made.
Long before Instagram reels became fashionable, recipes were learnt by doing. It wasn’t even necessary to measure ingredients – a pinch, a fistful, a cupped hand was all that would be required, and remembered. Nor were ingredients sacred – there would always be a substitute for something that wasn’t available in the kitchen. Lemon for tamarind, curry leaves for coriander, all kinds of permutations were possible before recipes began to be written down to the last detail.
Sharing the activity of cooking binds families together, but more so in Ramadhan which is such a special time of sharing and togetherness. Much after youngsters move away from home to study or set up their own homes, these shared moments form an integral part of their own lives.
“I remember coming to my grandmother’s house in Ramadhan evenings and being welcomed with an array of delicious aromas floating around the whole house,” reminiscences a young student.
“In Egypt, our families would come together to share recipes in the daytime and bring food to each other’s homes every day for iftar,” remembers another. “We would go around collecting small change from the neighbourhood and decorate the lanes outside our homes with buntings and crepe paper,” she continues.
A young student who now lives away from Oman says that the most important thing she misses being away is the cheerful and busy noises surrounding her home in Ramadhan: “Our mothers planned everything – the meals, the ingredients, the drinks, everything was thought of to the last detail. We would just soak all that energy. I miss being part of all that now and look forward to returning to family Ramadhan soon.”
A time for prayer and charity, Ramadhan is also a time for family bonding. Remembering family traditions, following valuable and remembered recipes and even documenting them for the coming generations is a great way to respect the holy month. Recipes are also stories in their own ways and treasuring them is another way of honouring our heritage.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
