BEIRUT: The holy month of Ramadan offers an opportunity for families and friends to gather and share convivial moments around a table adorned with delicious dishes and tasty desserts for iftar or sahoor.
All practicing Muslims in Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia invite and are invited for iftar comprising traditional dishes influenced with regional flavors. Dates are an immediate source of energy and often the first food consumed when breaking the fast.
In Lebanon, the usual offering includes rice with chicken, known as riz a djej; shorba, often a lentil soup; kebbe, meat mixed with bulgur; moghrabie, also called Lebanese couscous; sambousseks with meat or cheese; hummus to be nibbled on with pita bread, chips, crackers, or slices of toasted baguette; and tabbouleh and fattouch, the stars of Lebanese salads.
The most popular Lebanese dessert during Ramadan is kallaj, a speciality that is baked only on this occasion. In Sidon, pedestrians crowd the pastry shops, attracted by this dessert displayed in the windows, often eaten with a cup of jallab, a fruit syrup made from carob, dates, grape molasses, and rose water.
In Morocco, harira soup, made with lamb and vegetables, is a staple on the table. The country is also famous for using aubergine in a wide range of recipes, such as aubergine puree served with batbout, a Moroccan bread roll, aubergine lasagne and zaalouk, and salad.
For dessert, the must-have is the chebakia, the Moroccan flagship Ramadan pastry. Moroccans enjoy this rolled pastry, also known as the Moroccan cookie or donut, almond briouates, sweet or savory puff pastry flavored and decorated with chopped almonds, and many other delicious pastries such as meloui and msemen that are similar to pancakes.
Iftar has a very particular taste in Tunisia. The tchich, a Tunisian tomato-based barley soup with soft pieces of octopus and dried mint, melts in the mouth and offers delicious flavors. This soup is usually served on special occasions such as weddings and Ramadan.
A classic Tunisian iftar spread comprises of swabaa fatma, also known as Fatma’s fingers, which are crispy fried sticks made of thin dough and filled with various fillings; rouz jerbi, another well-balanced and nutritious dish that consists of rice and a variety of vegetables and proteins of choice with Tunisians often opting for shrimp; and brik, stuffed filo pastry.
For a sweet treat, zlabia with orange blossom water is a particularly exquisite Tunisian favorite.
Similar to their Tunisian neighbors, Algerians also enjoy briks during the holy month. A delicious and very popular starter, ideal for serving on any Algerian table during Ramadan, briks are always accompanied by shorba frik — inherited from the Ottoman period — which is a traditional Algerian soup made of crushed green wheat.
A favorite side dish at the Ramadan table, couscous is prepared with lamb or beef simmered with chickpeas, onions, carrots, squash, and a variety of spices.
The kalb el louz, a pastry from Constantine, is a dessert that is unanimously appreciated in Algeria, and is enjoyed with mint tea. An irresistible delicacy and an important source of energy, zlabia is also popular among Algerians, as well as Tunisians, during Ramadan.
Whether in Beirut, Tunis, Algiers, or Rabat, the religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical links between these countries confirm a unique culinary authenticity that is highlighted and promoted during Ramadan.
