An Iftar from Afar: A Virtual Breaking of the Fast with New Friends

Celebrate Eid al-Fitr with a takeout feast from The Four Seasons

By Susan Able, Edible DC

During the fasting month of Ramadan, this year starting April 23 and ending May 23, is marked by Eid al-Fitr (which means "festival of breaking the fast"), a feast that marks the end of Ramadan. During the month of Ramandan, traditional fasting starts and sunrise and is broken at sundown by an iftar, the meal where the fast is broken with the gathering of friends and family. Fasting, contemplating hunger and the suffering of others, and charitable work are some of the many activities Muslims do during Ramadan. The fast emphasizes self-sacrifice and allows one to empathies with the less fortunate. But equally there are the large gatherings and lavish iftar meals featuring elaborate dishes and sweets not usually made during the rest of the year. And after iftar there is socializing. In the UAE, shops are open late into the night; cafes are abuzz and people stay up until the wee hours.

Naturally, this usually joyful, social and happy time has changed during the TOC (Time of Covid), and Muslims and so have iftars, so those who observe Ramadan have had to create virtual get togethers. Many wondered how this Ramadan would feel with the inability to congregate, share food or socialize with family and friends.

For many, connecting virtually was the answer.

I was invited to attend an “Iftar from Afar,” hosted by Dana Al Marashi, Head of Cultural Diplomacy of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales: The Global Noman Cusine of Abu Dhabi. Our hosts invited a group of seven US citizens to join seven dinner companions in Abu Dhabi to share an iftar and a far-ranging conversation.

Separated by time zones and half the globe, we all shared stories of what our lives now and for those of us who had prepared a dish, what we were eating. In the US, it was morning, but for our counterparts hours ahead, it was past sundown and they all had made beautiful foods that they described dish by dish.

According to Ms. Al Marashi, Ramadan is her favorite time of the year. While Ramadan is a time of fasting, the entire month revolves around food and is a time of community. The end of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, is a time for families to prepare a lavish feast with traditional foods like Al Harees, a mixture of wheat and meat, like chicken, with a pinch of salt that is slow-cooked for hours in boiling water for hours until the ingredients integrate into a smooth paste that is cooked again in a clay pot, becoming a savory, gelatinous dumpling. Sweets are a huge part of Eid celebrations. Two traditional sweets that everyone looks forward to are Lgaymat, a sweet fried dumpling with date syrup, sugar and cardamom and Halwa, a puddingy-type Omani dessert made of sugar, saffron, nuts, rosewater, cardamom and eggs that is paired with Arabic coffee, a lighter brew.

Currently Ms. Al Marashi is sheltering in Dubai with her family so she will enjoy Eid with them, but in past years in Washington, DC, Ms. Al Marashi has spent Ramadan arranging numerous iftar celebrations at the Embassy for friends, partners and other cultural collaborators. Her job in cultural diplomacy has certainly changed during COVID restrictions, but there have been some silver linings. One thing she has found is the inspiration from the necessary creativity that she and her colleagues have employed to carry on with her job, and how open people have been to try new things. Certainly the virtual iftar was one of those solutions.

You can follow the UAE’s cultural activities, including food programs, @UAEcultureusa on Instagram.

The Four Seasons is preparing an Eid al-Fitr Brunch for Sunday, May 24. Featured dishes include lamb tagine, couscous, hummus and sweet desserts. Photo by Jennifer Chase.

In recognition of the end of Ramadan, Executive Chef, Sebastien Giannini of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, DC will be offering an Eid al-Fitr Brunch takeout feast this coming Sunday. Reservations must be taken by May 22 at 5 pm. A portion of the proceeds is donated to Medstar Washington hospital Center. Contactless pick up at the valet stand of the hotel, no need to leave your car, pick up your feast between 10am and 4 pm.

To order, click this link. To call, 202) 342-0444 | Four Seasons Hotel | 2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW

The feast includes:

Amuse Bouche
Al Amira nuts and olives mix

Appetizers
Baba ganoush and Hummus

Entrees
Lamb Shank Tajine
Couscous with zucchini, lemon, olives, eggplant and tomato

Desserts
Semolina Flan
Stuffed dates/nuts/oranges