Gabriela Serrano
Culture portfolio #1
One element that I have always
admired of the Arab culture is the importance that they place on hospitality.
Learning welcoming words taught me that the guest is the most important person
in the house, and unfortunately, that idea is not present in many cultures.
Dinners in the Arab culture in which guests attend usually include meats, teas
and coffee as well. Arab cuisine has many characteristics, such as the use of spices,
tahini, couscous, or curry. Other traditional items are Marag, okra, bread,
hummous, falafel, taboula, koshari, reyash, among others.
Maklooba is a meal most often prepared in
Palestinian countries, but in different cities adding some sort of spice or
herb usually enhances the taste. This dish made out of rice and meat or
chicken. During large family meetings, meat is traditionally cooked instead of
chicken.
Dates are a very common and popular
Middle Eastern dessert. Not only are they healthy and nutritious, but they are
appealing to the palate. An interesting fact that I found out about dates is
that in ancient times, they were eaten by nomadic times when there was a scarce
food supply. There are many variations of recipes in which dates are used such
as them being baked into sugar cookies, dates stuffed with almonds, and Hunayi.
Hunayi is a date recipe prepared mostly in the wintertime.
Another important element of the
Arabic cuisine and culture is Arabic coffee. Being from Colombia I understand
the importance of coffee as a cultural element. Arabic coffee is made to serve
and in low quantities. Instead of being made in a normal coffee machine, they
are made in an enamelware or brass pot. There is a specific way of grinding and
roasting the coffee beans, which requires a certain amount of expertize.
This very large and important
element of the Arabic culture is a blend or combination of Indian, Middle
Eastern, and Mediterranean food. The importance of the food lies in the matter
of hospitality, which is the main focus of the Arabic Cuisine. Food also plays
an important role in during the holidays. The major Muslim holiday is the Eid,
which marks the end of Ramadan. For Christian Arabs, the holidays are
Christmas, Lenten season, and Easter.
You can tell a lot about a
country’s history through its cuisine. In the Middle East, wheat and
fermentation were cultivated and discovered. Also, during the Persian Empire,
food such as fruits, poultry, and rice became part of the every day cuisine.
Also, during the Ottoman Empire, pastries and sweet coffee was brought into the
area and like I have already mentioned, coffee is an extremely important
element of the Arabic cuisine and is part of the day-to-day life.
This was
interesting to me because in Colombia we have a very particular cuisine and I was
not informed of the fact that we share many of our traditions and ingredients
with the Arabic culture. It is interesting to analyze how each meal and
ingredient has a purpose and a background, and how the act of sharing a meal
together is so important in the Middle Eastern countries.
Word Count: 521
http://www.grapeleaves.us/Mediterranian-Cuisine/middle-eastern-cuisine-article.html
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