Foods of Ramadan

Most of March 2025 has been the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. If non-Muslims know anything about Ramadan, it’s that it is a time of fasting. While that is true, food and meals play an important part of this longstanding religious observance.

On a digital conference produced by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, food writer and author Yvonne Maffei, described the importance and rituals of the morning and evening meals during Ramadan. She also explained the guidelines of halal and other aspects of this special time for the believers of Islam.

The native Ohioan wore a fuchsia hijab and sat in front of a map of Italy, reflecting one-half of her Italian/Puerto Rican heritage. She began by explaining that Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorates the period during which the prophet Muhammad is said to have received the first revelations of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Besides introspection and prayer, Ramadan is a month of almsgiving and fasting. During the entire month, Muslims do not eat or drink, from sunrise to sunset.

To aid this observance, Muslims use calendars giving the exact time the sun rises and sets for each location on the globe. “For me, it could be a different time than someone two states away or even two cities away,” Maffei explains. For example, celebrants in El Cajon might break their fasts two or three minutes earlier than celebrants in La Jolla. Children and those with health issues are excused from fasting. Kids start fasting in their teens, although some start younger. Pregnant women are free of the obligation of fasting, yet the majority of pregnant women opt to fast.

All foods for Ramadan have to meet the requirements of halal. “Halal is mentioned throughout the Koran and means permissible,” Maffei says. “It can also mean ethical or clear of imperfection.” First and foremost, halal foods and drinks are free of alcohol or pork.

Many non-Muslims assume that halal refers to the dishes and food traditions of the Middle East, but any cuisine can be halal. “You can cook French, Greek, Italian, anything,” said Maffei who is the author of My Halal Kitchen. “I want people to feel they can hold on to their traditional recipes, their food, their culture. You don’t have to give it up because of a dietary restriction.” She has found substitutes for wine in cooking French cuisine. Her tamales use no lard, and she prides herself on her nonalcoholic sangria. She shared that more producers are making halal foods in North America, including frozen foods and ready-to-eat meals.

There is a whole ethos of halal, and foods labeled as halal have been cleared of all that is impermissible. “The limitations on halal are not that many. But meat has to be butchered in a manner very similar to kosher methods, where there is minimal pain to the animal being butchered,” Maffei said. Halal can’t be mixed with anything that is not halal. Utensils that have touched non-halal or come in contact with any alcohol need to be cleansed before they can be used to prepare halal foods. “You don’t have to have a separate kitchen. You just have to have a space where you can ensure that things are not crossing over. If you can’t find halal at your grocery store, you can also do kosher, although halal does not restrict eating meat and dairy at the same meal,” Maffei clarified.

Ramadan meals

The first meal of the day before the day-long fast is Suhoor. Maffei suggests, in order to get a good start on the day, that observers will refrain from foods that are very heavy. Typical foods for this predawn meal are eggs, toast, yogurt, and potatoes with dill. Avocado toast is also popular. Dishes are made with fava beans and baba ganoush. Muslims typically drink coffee and tea.

“Sunrise could be as early as 4:30 in the morning, and we need to complete our morning meal before that,” Maffei said. Considering prep time, that means waking up in early, early predawn hours. “So we Muslims can lose sleep during Ramadan! Then we go the whole day, not even a sip of water—there is a lot of hydration during our first meal to prepare for the full day of refraining from fluids—until the sun sets. And believe me, during Ramadan, everybody knows the exact time the sun sets!” she added with a laugh.

The meal after sunset is Iftar, which is almost always a communal gathering and like a little Thanksgiving each night of Ramadan. While Suhoor might be thought of as differing little from what might be expected at any other breakfast, Iftar is a larger production and takes place in stages.

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Maffei explained that Muslims customarily eat dates to break their daily fasts. “We break our fast with dates. We believe that this is what the prophet Mohamed used to do, and we follow his example. They naturally bring up the sugar in your system; you’re not just diving into a meal. And after the dates, there is usually something crunchy. And there are lots of appetizers and lots of water.”

The meal is interrupted by Maghrib, the fourth of the five prayers Muslims recite during each day. The main meal of the evening follows, and it’s anything goes. Mafei said, “There can be anything, soups, meat, rice.” When it comes to food choices, however, Maffei suggested it’s best to avoid filling up on carbs, which won’t sustain anyone well through hours and hours of fasting.

Eid al-Fitr translates as “celebration” and is the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. There are parties. Mosques have bazaars. The holiday is like a reward for fasting 30 days,” Maffei said, adding, “Ramadan is a happy time. People greet each other with ‘Ramadan Kareem,’ which is like saying ‘Merry Christmas’ for Christians. People do a lot of good things, like charity. Prayer is a big part of it, too. At night time you see folks gathering at Temple. Even though we fast, we love Ramadan. It is such a beautiful time of year.”