Blog post written by Rania Abdullah, IUPUI Dietetic Intern
On September 3rd, 2021,Afghan refugees began arrivingat Camp Atterbury, which is just south of Indianapolis.The evacuees are expected to arrive in waves, and Indiana has the potential to host 5,000 Afghans. GleanersFood Bank is seekingto understandthe Afghanfood andculturein order to welcome these new neighbors andbetter meet their needs.
Afghanistan country outline and flag inlay. Image fromcommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_map_of_Afghanistan.svg
There are more than
Language, Art, and Culture
| Great Mosque of Herat ("Friday Mosque"). | Musicians playing sitar. Image fromforeignpolicy.com |
Foods and Dietary Practices
Mutton(lamb) is the most popular meat eaten in Afghanistan.Chickenis also common,and it isusually servedwith long grain rice, andlots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Favorite produce items includeeggplant, spinach, potato, carrot, peas, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, dates, and melons. Fresh mint and coriander are also very common. Popular Afghan dishes include:
- Mastawa- a traditional winter dish made with rice, chickpeas, and sun-dried salted mutton (calledLahndi),mixed with onions, garlic, turmeric, coriander, and mint.
- Aushak - leek and scallion dumplings sometimes served with tomato sauce and dried mint.
- KabuliPalaw-a national dish made from meat and stock topped with fried raisins, pistachios, and slivered carrots
- Afghan Kebab-made from lamb meat, served with naan instead of rice
| Aushak. Image frompickuplimes.com. | Kabuli palaw. Image fromigotitfrommymaman.com |
Festivals and Holidays
Islam is the major religion in Afghanistan. Islamic holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar:
- Ramadan-a holy fasting month for Muslims.Began onApril 13thin 2021,expectedstartdate for 2022 is April 2nd.
- Eid al-Fitr– “breaking the fast”celebration after Ramadan. Afghanscelebrate it by wearing new clothes, going to prayer, visiting family and friends, and giving gifts or money to kids (Eidi).CelebratedonMay 13thin 2021. Every year the datemoves back11 days as it follows the lunar calendar-the date for 2022 will beMay 2nd.Bolaniis a dish served in Ramadan andeidal-Fitr. It isathin crusted bread with a vegetable filling with foods like lentils, pumpkin,or potatoes. It can be servedwith yoghurt.
Ramadan is a very important month for Muslims. Image fromucf.edu.
- Eid al-Adha - Festival of Sacrificecelebrated on the 10thday of the 12thmonth of the Islamic calendar.It was celebrated onJuly 18thin 2021 (expected to be July 7thfor 2022).Afghansusually eat lamb or beef meatforthis festival.
- Nau-Roz(new year’s celebration following the Islamiccalendar)-March 21st. Special dishes served on Nau-Roz eve include sabzi challow(a dish made from rice and spinach) and haft mewa(a sweet dish like fruit salad madefrom dried fruitswith nuts).
- AshuraDay -14thof month Muharram in the Islamiccalendar- August 8th, 2022.Special dishes served in Ashura include naleem(usually includes meat, wheat or barley, and sometimes lentils)and narenj palaw(a rice dish made with chicken, saffron, orange peel, pistachios, and almonds).
| Haft mewa. Image fromwww.rhubarbarians.com. | Table set for Nau-Roz. Image fromafghanistan-un.org |
Sources:
- https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/architectural-styles/a3581-10-structures-that-represent-the-historical-architecture-of-afghanistan/
- https://afghanmagazine.com/post/187983782189/at-the-crossroads-of-asia-the-transnationality
- https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-food-in-afghanistan
- https://trip101.com/article/traditional-food-in-afghanistan
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/the-10-most-delicious-eid-al-fitr-foods-and-dishes-from-around-the-world/
- https://www.afghan-web.com/culture/holidays/
- https://worldfood.guide/list/food_or_dishes_eaten_during_ashura/
- https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/afghanistan/eid-al-adha
