Thought I’d start by saying Ramadhan Mubarak again as we have now officially entered this holy month 🙂
This post today is all about iftar.
Let’s be brutally honest, yes we are all excited for this truly blessed time of year but when it’s the first few days and it’s hot and stuffy like it has been, the most exciting thing on our minds right now is definitely DINNER TIME.
What exactly is Iftar?
If you’ve heard of it and ever wondered what it means, its an Arabic word that translates into ‘break a fast.’ So technically our morning breakfast is in fact a daily iftar, as we are breaking fast from not eating over night.
In Ramadan, iftar comes at the moment of dusk, when the sun goes down and Muslims can finally eat after a long day of fasting. Like I mentioned in my last post, Ramadhan is a time to spend time with family and loved-ones and iftar is usually the one moment in a day where everyone can get together, regardless of whats going on in each others lives.
What do we do at Iftar time?
Well everyone tends to have their own traditions, their own routine.
My ideal iftar is definitely when we make the trip over to our mothers, who always go the extra mile and make incredible feasts!
sneak preview from last night at mums 🙂
In the UK, group iftars have become increasingly more popular over recent years. Friends and families get together and each attending couple or family brings a dish and everybody shares what have been the labours of love that day.
In Egypt, people traditionally break their fasts with a dish that is very close to my heart, foul (pronounced fool) medames. It’s a hearty dish made with medames beans eaten with a wholemeal flat bread and its AMAZING!!! (I ate it every day when we were in Abu Dhabi and never got sick of it).
Iranians traditionally break their fasts with a sweet tea, cheese and walnut sandwiches. Other special foods eaten during the month are firni, which is a type of sweet rice in milk, as well as vegetable soups and a variety of rice dishes.
In East Africa (which is where Mo’s family are from) iftar consists of a mixture of Indian and African dishes, like samosas, bhajis, coconut and corn curries – it really is a melting pot of flavours and cuisines.
Moroccans break their fasts with Harira a hearty North African soup (my dads favourite) and also a selection of fried pastries filled with cheeses, spinach and mince.
I love this article from the Huffington Post which shows a series of beautiful images of iftar meals from around the world, I only wish there were more photos!
Images by the Associated Press, from Huffington Post, link in article
The one thing all iftars have in common, regardless of geographical location is that people tend to come together.
What would you eat?
Earlier this week, my mum pestered us to tell her what we fancied eating for our very first iftari of 2017.
I had NO idea.
When you’ve not had a crumb of food all day deciding what to eat is hard.
What would you choose?
This year, I’ve decided to explore the idea of finding my ideal iftar. So I’m looking to you for help…
Inspired by the images from iftars around the world, I’ve teamed up with intu Trafford Centre and for the first time in a long time I am giving you the chance to win something. Not just something, a chance to win a £100 intu Trafford Centre GIFT CARD
(a hundred quid!?!).
Share your ideal iftar on twitter or instagram using the hashtag #idealiftar and you could be in with a chance of winning the perfect pre-Eid gift.
It could be at home with friends, with family, just you perhaps. It could be out and about at your favourite restaurant or Ramadhan event… the choices are endless. Whether your Muslim or not I’d like to see what meal you would choose to break your fast with.
So…
What’s going to be your ideal iftar?
*** Terms & Conditions ***
- You can share as many or as little entries as you want!
- Entries must include the hashtag #idealiftar
- Last day for entry is 22nd June, Winner to be announced 12:00pm 23rd June.
- Winner will be contacted by twitter/instagram direct message
- There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
- The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered.
- By entering this competition participants consent to their full names being available by request from jetsetchick.com
- By submitting photographs under the #idealiftar hashtag participants consent to their photograph being used on jetsetchick.com
- Entry to this competition confirms that participants have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions
