Iftar Number 1

Though Ramadan is a giving and sacrificing month, it is also quite sociable. Traditionally when the fast is broken every day, people gather at a variety of places for Iftar, the first meal after the all day fast. Families go to each others houses or out for a meal, and some organizations and businesses use the opportunity to host “networking” Iftars. As we are now being welcomed into the “media” community, we’ve been invited to a number of Iftars at the different hotels around town, and one recently was at Le Royal Meridien.

The invitation says 6.40pm, and at 6.40pm on the dot, guests people are arriving. Strange to see over here as being early or even on time for any kind of meeting is usually unheard of, but then eating for the first time in 14hours is good enough reason not to be late. Even though the fast is traditionally broken by eating dates, the food was fantastic, absolutely everything you can imagine. Soup, fish, grilled meat, vegetables, salads, but my personal favourite, a “whole” lamb sitting in a huge tray carved up for you as you went fill you plate.
Do the Iftars last all night? Not at all, literally as soon as people had eaten, it was up from your seats and out to another event or location. Less than an hour from start to finish! No time to hang around and natter over a coffee! Absolutely fantastic!