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Sunday 18 October 2015

5 Reasons why you would dine at an Arabs house

5 Reasons why you would dine at an Arabs house

From tens to hundreds of varieties of dates to the reputable sauce that is the hummus, the Arab dining table is one that should not be let amiss if given the chance - nay, I daresay: if one hasn't attended a true Arab feast, then they have not seen what it is like to dine. You might consider my declaration hollow, but after reading the reasons I have listed, I hope you perceptions change and you're left craving for an invitation..or you might just walk into an Arabs house uninvited and that brings me to my first point:

1) "Here comes my guest!"

Originally amongst the Bedouins, the subtitled phrase is what was exclaimed when a stranger was spotted from afar by a family member and thus they had "claimed" the guest. Said stranger guest would then be welcomed by a generous meal...even if it means the host family goes without it. This custom has carried out to many Arabs living in urban cities now because one thing that should never be ignored about these humble people is that they take their tradition to the grave. So if you do decide to show up at the house of a traditional Arab, don't be surprised when you're invited for the something more than your regular Mac.

2) "We wish for no rewards nor thanks from you"

  It would be common courtesy for one to feel obliged to return the generous favour of dining through a gift or perhaps even inviting the host family over to your own house  for dinner. However, the subtitled phrase has been extracted straight out of the Holy Quran[76.8-9]. What needs to be noted here is that Islam has been the prime religion of most Arabs for the past 1400 years and so it is so interwoven into their culture that often you hear even the Non-Muslim Arabs use Islamic phrases is common speech. What needs to be taken from this is that regardless of the religion of the Arab, there are several common traditional beliefs that have been derived from Religion and this is a key one of them. So when you do dine at your Arab acquaintances' house, don't be too consumed about the burden of a gift or favour in return.

3) Short visits don't even count.

It is a customary belief that brief visits from guests in which tea or coffee is offered only count as a "stop-by" and not even a real visit. Two things should be noted here; when you are offered "tea" from an Arab, never only expect tea. It will surely be accompanied by extra sweets and perhaps even varieties of tea. Secondly, if you do decide to "stop-by", you will be forced to return for a "proper visit", and at this point it is customary for the Arab to express that it is due to the fact that they couldn't enjoy the company of the guest for long enough. So if you do feel hungry in between that awkward time amid lunch and dinner, feel absolutely free to pay a visit to your Arab friend.

4) Food.

Enough with the side-hospitality; this is the real deal. Arab food can be quite interesting to a guest who is not accustomed to the different spices and textures. Some common Arab dishes that have only recently become popular here in America include Hummus, Shawerma, stuffed grape leaves (dolmas), Baklava, Falafel, Taboula, and Cuscus. Yet, these dishes are not the only types of dishes. Arab food is quite diverse. There are many concoctions of ingredients that make up Arab cuisine.  Wheat makes up bread and pastries. Rice is consumed at almost every meal. Vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant and onion are cooked with chicken, lamb or beef to produce a semi-stew or kabob. Olive Oil and lemon with a hint of garlic is used to season salads. Beans, yogurt and vegetables are turned into dips and sauces, which are then drizzled over more rice and bread.  The sight, let alone aroma is tantalizing. Oh, and don't feel shy about trying everything out because the host will show great disappointment if their guest hasn't sampled everything and will not stop suggesting, or even forcing, things in your plate until it is blatant that you are stuffed till your throat.

5) "My home is your home"

As soon as you lay foot into the household of your Arab friend, you are bound to be engulfed by antique furniture and Religious imagery of some sort. For reasons that are beyond my intellect, Arabs always manage to create a very welcoming household that invites a guest without demanding their presence. I've left this point to the very last because its veritable impact can only truly be felt after one has stepped foot into the house. Building on from this traditionally devised yet unintentionally created inviting atmosphere, the subtitled  phrase is in fact a traditional greeting offered by the hosts to any guests. The impact this has, along with the atmosphere of the surroundings, truly makes on feel like the place where they stand is where they belong. And if that's how you are left feeling by the end of the evening, then you have felt the full impact of Arab hospitality.
 
Having quantified the aforementioned points, I would highly recommend that one pays a visit to a traditional Arab dinner at least once in their life; oh, and mind you, I'm not an Arab. The only reason I'm so familiar with the formalities is because I've lived a major part of my life in arguably the heart of it all - Saudi Arabia. And with that, I bid you farewell in the traditional manner:
"May peace be upon you"


*Note: This applies to traditional Arab values and mostly every Arab I've ever met but isn't necessarily thoroughly representative.

 



 
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