showed the way to a healthy life, as stories about
his other teachings and deeds showed the way to
salvation after death.
Following the example of the Prophet, Mus-
lims were taught that it was preferable to sit down
and invoke the name of God before eating, eat and
drink with the right hand only (the left was asso-
ciated with Satan), and take food only from the
serving dishes nearest to where one was seated.
Also, food should be passed to the right, not to
the left. It was also reported that when Muham-
mad liked a food, he ate it, but if he disliked it, he
kept silent and left it on his plate. Reflecting his
Arabian cultural heritage, Muhammad’s favorite
beverage, aside from water, was fresh milk. In
addition to its nutritional value, milk was thought
to reduce depression and help people who suf-
fered from lung diseases. Muhammad’s other
preferred foods included a meat and bread stew
called tharid, which Muslims in many parts of the
world still prepare in a variety of ways. Meat was
thought by some commentators to be the pre-
ferred food of paradise. Muhammad used vinegar
as a condiment with bread, but he also liked to eat
fruits, honey, and sweets. Vinegar was thought to
help with digestion, while figs were good for the
liver and spleen and an antidote for poison.
In accordance with Muslim scriptures and cus-
toms, culinary practices play an important role in
ritual life and in Feasting traditions. This is most
evident in the month-long ramadan fast, when
Muslims are required to abstain from all food and
drink during the daylight hours. The fast is broken
at the end of each day, when traditional Ramadan
dishes are usually prepared. Dates and water are
favorites for breaking the fast. People of the Ara-
bian Peninsula have a favorite Ramadan dish called
ramadaniyya, a mixture of dried fruits and nuts
that has been soaked overnight in water. There is
also a major feast that marks the end of Ramadan
called id al-Fitr (Feast of Fast-Breaking), when
sweets are customarily consumed. The other major
feast on the Muslim calendar is id al-adha (Feast
of the Sacrifice), which is held at the conclusion of
the annual haJJ to Mecca. This holiday features the
sacrifice of pastoral animals (lambs, goats, cattle,
and camels) and consumption of meat dishes
in memory of the piety of abraham, who nearly
sacrificed his own son at God’s command but was
allowed to substitute a ram instead. Even fulfilling
the obligation of almsgiving (zakat and sadaqa),
another of Islam’s Five pillars, involves food, since
calculation of the amount required to be given in
charity was originally based on crop production
and livestock holdings. Many Muslims still fulfill
their charitable obligations by providing food for
the hungry and needy.
Aside from the two Ids, one of the most widely
observed Islamic holidays is the birthday (mawlid)
of Muhammad, which occurs during the third
month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims
in many parts of the world, especially children,
celebrate it with the consumption of sweets.
Followers of Shiism and Sufism observe holiday
feasts and fasts connected with saints particular to
their traditions—the Shii imams and Sufi awliya,
or “friends of God.” Life cycle observances such
as circumcision, marriage, and death also involve
distinctive culinary practices in accordance with
local food traditions.
There is no distinctively Islamic cuisine that is
embraced by all Muslims, however. Dietary laws
set some limitations, but they still allow a great
deal of latitude with regard to the kinds of food
and drink allowed and the ways they can be pre-
pared, combined, and served. Distinctive culinary
cultures, therefore, have developed in different
parts of the Muslim world. Among the most nota-
ble are those of the Persians, Arabs, and Turks.
Other major cuisines are those of South Asia and
Southeast Asia. Among the Middle Eastern peo-
ples, lamb is the favorite meat, and wheat bread
and rice compete with each other as the basic sta-
ples. Rice becomes increasingly important as one
travels eastward from the Persian Gulf region to
Southeast Asia. All cuisines in Muslim countries
benefit from the widespread use of savory spice
mixtures, herbs, and peppers. Favorite beveragesK (^248) food and drink