There is nothing quite like that first bite after a long day of fasting. It’s quiet, intentional and deeply comforting. The stillness just before sunset gives way to movement – the table being laid, the clinking of glasses, the pause as everyone waits for the call to prayer. Then, with a date in hand and water on the tongue, the fast is broken. That moment never loses its meaning, no matter how many times you experience it. Iftar doesn’t begin with a feast, but with small, simple things, such as these two soups.
Shurbad (lamb, oat and barley soup – pictured top)
Shurbad exists across many cultures, especially in east Africa, the Middle East and north Africa.
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