Muslims not only refrain from food and drink during the daylight hours, but ideally refrain from the sins of the flesh, practise sacrifice and generosity, and devote themselves to prayer, spiritual reflection, and worship to God.
The fast is well rewarded at sunset when a sumptuous meal is prepared at Iftar, breaking the fast.
Despite the self-discipline and moral refinement of the soul throughout the sunlit day, come sundown, good Muslims indulge in all that is pleasurable at the Iftar table.
Iftar starts the meal with a warm rich soup and delight in the finale of honey-sweet pastries.
Every sweet dessert is stuffed with nuts, glorious nuts, a staple in Ramadan, more in demand than any other food. We see more of it, buy more of it, cook more of it and certainly eat more of it, during this holy month.
Few mortals resist the gentle persuasion of a nut. This tiny seducer beckons; your mouth waters and its magnetic force pulls your hand to your forbidden fruit. The flavour bursts in your mouth and your taste buds long for more.
One nut, then two, three, and more. You never have enough of that bonne bouche that satisfies every taste. Perhaps by sheer instinct you know that nuts are good for you.
Cherished and consumed since pre-historic times, the highly nutritious nut comes in all shapes, tastes and sizes. Hundreds of nut-bearing plants grow in almost every part of the world — only about 25 are raised as crop. Botanists define a nut as a dry one-seed fruit, surrounded by a hard shell — that hard shell makes it fair game for all the whimsical witticisms of the playful jeu de mots about the nut.
One of the most ancient and certainly the most popular nut in every culture is the noble almond. Known for its blossoming flowers at springtime, it is prominently featured in many foods during Ramadan. Almonds are stuffed in a variety of delicious foods, vegetables, meats, fowl, grains and rice — but at dessert time it is king. In every delectable morsel you will taste crushed almonds laced with honey, often paired with a mixture of other irresistible nuts.
Even before the almond, the walnut had its origins in Europe and Asia. Though a walnut may look like any other, there are 15 varieties — the most popular being the English walnut, so-called for no particular reason, since it is France, Italy, Spain, among other countries that produce walnuts.
Call it a hazelnut or a filbert, this valuable food is plentiful for animals in the wild — we love them too. In ancient times and until recently, the hazelnut was believed to hold magic powers. Judging for its sweetmeats in a number of dishes and desserts, its magic may still work.
The pecan is the gift of the New World to the Old World. Much like the walnut, its meat is sweeter, its shell smoother and if you have ever tasted pecan pie, you know that it is beyond delicious.
Perhaps the oldest nut of all is the golden pistachio. More than 10,000 years old, it is different in colour and taste like most nuts. Behind its pale soft, inviting semi-opening shell, this slightly sweet seed is often “the smiling pistachio”. Pistachios are not just nuts they are the stars of the Middle East — its major producer is Iran, Turkey, Italy, and Greece and even now in sunny California. It would not be Ramadan without a sweet pastry lined up with its delectable meat, sprinkled with its glimmering, green morsels.
How about the tiniest nut of all — the exquisite pine nut. Also known as pignoli or pinyons, ancient documents suggest that it has the reputation of being a potent aphrodisiac around the Mediterranean area as well as the East. As far back as 100 BC, the use of pine nut is known to produce “desirable effects”. This small, creamy, ivory-coloured seed come from China, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan and Portugal, has been appreciated for its exquisite flavour since pre-historic times.
Paired with honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, the sounds and smells are unique to Ramadan, transcending the ordinary to the extraordinary, the ravishing, the sublime.
If we were to mention some of the iconic treats of Ramadan, they are the special sweets, stuffed with nuts, fried to crunchy golden perfection, doused in thick sugary syrup or laced sweet honey, sprinkled with one or all available nuts.
Wondering about the tasty, toothsome, tempting peanut? The peanut is not even a nut, but a pea. Like other peas, it is a legume, another subject for another day.
What more can we ask of a nut? They contain essential amino acids only found in animal proteins. Studies show that frequent consumption reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Our unique month is a collection of delightful, delectable, delicious sights, sounds and tastes to savour the flavours of this blessed month of Ramadan.
“The reward of feeding a fasting person is more than fasting itself.”
Ibn Yaqoub Al-Kulayni (864-941)
* A version of this article appears in print in the 13 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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