#BTColumn – Fasting and eating during Ramadan

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.

The universality of the faith of Islam is reflected not only in the global application of its teachings but also by the various ethnicities, nationalities and backgrounds of the adherents that make up the fastest growing religion today.

Ramadan, the annual month of fasting, which Muslims are currently observing is a manifestation of this global phenomena where every observant Muslim across the world is engaging in daytime fasting and nighttime extra prayers.

The fasting is complete, which means absolutely no food or drink from dawn to dusk. Regardless of economic circumstances fasting is incumbent, unless health or other challenges prohibit engaging in staying away from food and drink. In such cases making up the fasts later is an option or feeding the needy if fasting is definitely ruled out.

The dusk to dawn period during the month is meant for further spiritual rejuvenation and extra prayers and worship are strongly encouraged. While fasting is the main feature of this month food isn’t any less important and herein is where the diversity of cultural expressions take shape across Muslim communities. As varied as Muslims are so too are the types of foods that Muslims eat. A blending of religious and cultural norms come to full bloom during this most holy of months.

This is perhaps best witnessed in many metropolitan cities of Europe and America but also increasingly in many capitals of the Arab Gulf states. Wherever a diverse mix of people converge culinary expressions would automatically reflect the different tastes and eating habits of the various groups.

There are two times in the day that Muslims would typically have a meal during the month of Ramadan. Early morning just before the onset of dawn to start the fast or as some of my Trini friends would say “tie d fast” and just after sunset to break or open the fast. The early morning eating is known commonly across the world by its Arabic equivalent “suhoor”.

This meal is essentially a very early breakfast. What is consumed at “suhoor” can vary from culture to culture and from individual to individual and will ultimately also depend on economic circumstances.
For the health-conscious, fruit and water will be sufficient while for the more gluttonous a solid meal with all its proteins, carbs and starches may be the practice.

Healthier options and eating and drinking just enough to get you through the day are what is highly recommended. Again, cultural habits and traditional foods will play a very important role in determining what is actually consumed in each household. I grew up witnessing my late father eat curry and roti or rice for the suhoor meal and couldn’t figure out how his stomach could take all that spice so early in the morning without repercussions.

He lived to 88 years hardly having any health issues. For me basic breakfast items tend to suffice and I definitely can’t stomach heavy meals at that time of the morning.

The sunset meal or ‘iftar’ is the time when it gets more complicated and more exciting.
So while Ramadan is mainly about staying away from food and drink, iftar provides that opportunity for the richness of culture, cuisine and traditions to shine.

In communities where the majority of Muslims happen to be of one cultural identity or background the types of food consumed or the traditional meals at fast breaking may not vary that much but over time and with the participation of persons from outside that culture in the household those traditional foods can begin to compete with other tastes and culinary preferences. One common feature across the world is the date fruit at the time of fast breaking as this is the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace.

In Barbados the majority of the Muslim community is of East Indian background and from one area in India, the region of Gujarat.
In many Muslim households, foods that are well liked by Gujaratis are still very much the norm. But over the years one witnesses the infusion of traditional Barbadian cuisine, finding its place on the table at iftar. T he well-known samosa will now sit side by side with the Bajan fishcake at some Muslim households in Barbados. While macaroni pie and baked chicken will compete with curry and roti.

Other parts of the Caribbean also experience this rich and diverse cultural expression in Ramadan. Trinidadians, Guyanese and Surinamese in particular have their unique foods especially at iftars which traditionally were given at large gatherings at the mosques for iftar during Ramadan before COVID. The coming into Islam also of persons from varying backgrounds and interacting with the mainstream Muslim communities in the different parts of the world have also impacted on what is consumed.

The intersecting of identities, the value of cuisine and the importance of faith is captured beautifully in the below account by a young Muslim, Sahla Denton from Oregon in this article titled: “From beans and rice to BBQ: Muslim Americans’ Ramadan cuisine reflects their diversity” by

Maryam Gamar.“I am half Mexican, half Jamaican, and I grew up with both of those cultures equally. But I’m also Muslim, which has a big influence on my family’s lifestyle. Since we’re from such different ethnic backgrounds, we don’t have a lot of traditions that other Muslim families have, so we’ve made a lot of our own.

“One thing we’ve had to do in general is adapt our traditional dishes because there are a lot of Mexican and Jamaican dishes that aren’t initially halal. For example, Mexicans use a lot of pork fat, so we have to alter even the regular beans and rice. A lot of Jamaican cakes use rum, so we’ve had to find ingredients that balance the sugar other than alcohol.

Our non-Muslim extended family has also adapted to us — like now all our aunties know how to make dishes that are good for us to eat, and it’s brought us together a lot more.

One of our family’s staple dishes, that we’ll definitely be eating this Ramadan, is escovitch, which is a Jamaican dish made of fish and topped with onions, carrots, and bell peppers tossed in vinegar.” One of the Ghanaian nurses who came to Barbados last year to work in our health service is spending her first Ramadan here and she sent me a picture of a traditional food they use in Ghana at Ramadan and which she is making here. It is called ‘Wagashi’ and it is made from fresh cow’s milk and fried.

This helped me to reflect that the universality of our faith traditions allows for the diversity of our cultures and foods to find a place globally even in the midst of a month of fasting.

Suleiman Bulbulia is a Justice of the Peace; Secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association; Muslim Chaplain at the Cave Hill Campus, UWI and a Childhood Obesity Prevention Champion. Email: suleimanbulbulia@hotmail.com.