Ramadan: Foods, Spirituality, and Importance

by Maram Sharif

Ramadan is just around the corner and with it comes all the anticipation and celebrations. Ramadan is a holy month that Muslims all over the globe look forward to and count down the days to welcome it with open arms, scented houses, and a fridge filled with good stuff. 

During this month, Muslims fast, become closer to God, reflect on their deeds, and most importantly, give back to their communities. The fact that the true essence of Ramadan is giving makes it a memorable time of the year in which members of the community all come together and work hand in hand to make it an enjoyable and inclusive environment for everyone. 

A form of giving that is highly practiced during Ramadan is cooking delicious meals or snacks and sharing it with your neighbors and strangers in need. With few days left till this much-awaited month, supermarkets are becoming filled with customers that are doing their last minute shopping for the ingredients they need to make top-notch Ramadan meals and snacks.

An all-time favorite Ramadan desert is Lagaimat. Despite it consisting of ingredients as simple as flour, yeast, milk powder, sugar and water, this desert will not fail to leave you asking for more. This appetizing snack needs to make an appearance on every Bahraini’s dining table during this holy month or you’re doing something wrong. It’s all fun and games until you gain a whole lot of pounds eating an entire plate of Lagaimats dripping with sugar syrup by yourself.

Another snack that will leave you addicted is the flavorful Bahraini Kebab. It is made out of kebab flour, eggs, red onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, red chilli, salt, cumin, turmeric, and mixed spices all mixed together and then fried as small pieces in a pan, served warm with tamarind sauce. I would say about three of these is more than enough, but I’d be surprised if you could actually stop at three kebabs.

While it could be extremely tempting to do nothing during Ramadan but munch on such tasty snacks, it is important to dedicate the majority of one’s time to spiritual discipline, worship and self-improvement.