Ramadhan is a month of ironies. It’s the only month in the year where we abstain from eating, but at the same time it’s also our favourite month-long affair with food. Especially certain types of food that have proven to be a staple presence on our tables (and in our tummies).
And it’s funny how it’s also almost ritualistic – that every year during this holy month – we seem to have an unwritten shortlist of sorts to the menu of food that we have for sahur, buka puasa and moreh.
Here is the list of the special kind of food that you only want to eat during Ramadhan:
Special Food #1 – Ayam Percik
As we all know, chicken is one of the favourite food of Malaysians and it is hard to imagine Ramadhan without chicken dishes. Chicken contains protein that functions as antibodies which protect you against viruses during the fasting month. Ayam percik is a delicious dish that you can commonly get in bazaars around Malaysia. It is the obligatory Ramadhan dish that every Malaysians will buy or cook. To make ayam percik, the chicken is marinated and clipped with a pair of bamboo sticks before grilling it over a low charcoal fire. Ayam percik is definitely a must try food because of its aroma and juicy taste!
Special Food #2 – Katira Drink
Katira Drink is a flavourful and delicious drink that is green in colour. It is mostly searched and demanded during Ramadhan. The drink contains a few ingredients such as tragacanth gum (katira), several pieces of kamang, basil seeds, barley syrup and screwpine leaves. We can also make this drink ourselves since it is easy to make and ingredients can be found in grocery stores near you.
Special Food #3 – Dates
The official food of Ramadhan got to be the soft whispers of Yusof Taiyubb promoting dates with fancy names such as Safawi, Mubroom and Ajwa. These dates are believed to be the favourites of the Prophet’ Muhammad. Dates taste sweet and definitely give you enough energy to help you to get through your busy day at work or home. Moreover, dates can also be used as cooking ingredients such as in dishes like ayam masak kurma and believe it or not, it can also be made into a drink which is mixed with milk. Results; good and tasty! Besides, dates are equally filling such as rice and other heavy dishes during suhoor and iftar!
Special Food #4 – Bubuk Lambuk
Bubur or porridge is basically made with one part rice and two parts of water that is cooked on a stove or rice cooker. Bubur lambuk is not just any old porridge that you can find during other days. You can only have a taste of bubur lambuk whenthe holy month is here. Bubur lambuk is usually distributed for free for a month that you can get at our local mosques. People are willing to queue for hours just to get this delicious dish which is normally serve as a dessert for suhoor and iftar. This is one of the memorable moments that we waited the whole year for because people will donate ingredients for the dish and help out to make a huge portion of bubur lambuk that can be distributed for a large group of people in certain areas. It is not only delicious but a charitable way to help those who are in need.
Special Food #5 -Pickled Fruit (Acar Buah)
Acar buah which is also known as mixed pickled fruit chutney is one of the popular side dish in Malaysia. Its unique taste comes from the mixture of various pickled fruits. During Ramadhan, Acar is one of the special dish that people in the northern side of Peninsula Malaysia must eat for suhoor and iftar. Why? Because acar makes any food tasty. It can be eaten with rice or bread, with gravy or without gravy. In Malaysia, each state has a different version of the acar buah and only differ in one or two ingredients. That is why one acar buah tastes uniquely different from another one.
So, there you go! These are the 5 top special food that we only eat and crave for in Ramadhan. That is why Ramadhan is such a special month for Malaysians. The food served are not only nutritious, delicious but also necessary as an energy booster for Malaysian Muslims to have enough energy to last through the day. Without them, Ramadhan will not be Ramadhan.