HOW DOES THE BOSNIAN IFTAR TAKE PLACE?

Bosnians living outside their homeland shared with The National how Ramadan is going in their families and how their national traditions are being maintained. Earlier, we wrote about the favorite dishes of the Bosnians in the month of God’s mercy in our article about how iftar is held in different parts of the world.

Nedina Mehmedovich lives in Dubai with her Syrian husband and two children, 7-year-old Ammar and 6-year-old Leila. She herself is from Bosnia. And the month of Ramadan for her is a great way to preserve and instill a love for the culture of her people. However, in the UAE, it is sometimes very difficult to find all the necessary products for cooking.

“There is bread in Bosnia called lepinya or somun. It is so airy and smells great, and sprinkled with black cumin seeds and cumin on top. During Ramadan, everyone buys this bread. Long lines line up in front of Iftar and Suhoor at grocery stores in Bosnia. Every family tries to buy freshly baked bread. I miss him very much, ”says Nedina.

Iftar begins with chorba soup, which is cooked in all families. It contains potatoes and various vegetables. Sometimes lamb is added. According to Nedina, this soup gives strength and is not heavy food for the stomach.

Pies are very popular for Iftar, or in Bosnian – pita. Everyone fills the cake with the desired filling. Depending on the filling, pita can be called “burek” or “syryndzha”. Nedina Mehmedovich herself makes her own pastries, adding three types of cheese, spinach and minced meat. In Bosnia, this dish is considered an integral part of the break-fast dinner.

One of the most popular products of the Bosnians is potatoes. It is included in many dishes. “I bake potatoes with chicken in the oven, or stuff peppers with meat and rice and cook with potatoes. Or I cook dishes from meat and potatoes, which my children love so much, ”says Nedina Mehmedovich.

Burek with cheese and yoghurt / Source: The National

For dessert, the Mehmedovich family prefers tuffahie – a dish of apples stewed in sweetened water and stuffed with walnuts and raisins, and topped with whipped cream. This is a very juicy and tender dessert that is often prepared for Eid (Islamic holiday).

For Abu Dhabi teacher Azmina Rahich, the smell of national dishes prepared according to my mother’s recipes is associated with Ramadan and family. Azmina was born and raised in Canada, but national and Islamic traditions were instilled in her family from childhood.

In the Azmina family, beyova chorba soup, that is, bey’s soup, is prepared for iftar. This is a classic Bosnian first dish. A thick chicken broth is cooked over low heat, served with wheat cakes, and this soup is washed down with yogurt.

Azmina’s parents prefer the yogurt they make themselves. It is ideal for quenching your thirst. Rice pudding known as sutliach is also prepared for Iftar. Very often it is made sweet, garnished with almonds and cinnamon. It is customary to serve it as a dessert for Iftar or Suhur. However, the Rakhich family more often prepared a salty version, because her father loved it. And at the end of the iftar, the Bosnians drink a cup of coffee.

Azmina hosts Iftar for her friends, preparing national Bosnian dishes. According to her, this provides an opportunity to share your culture.

Islamosphere