Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH ? Muslim communities from across the world living in Saudi Arabia have their own special foods and traditions during Ramadan. This ethnic diversity has enriched the Bride of the Sea for generations. Okaz/Saudi Gazette toured Ghulail, Al-Ruwais, Al-Sabeel, Yemenis? Souk, Al-Bukhariya, Al-Kandara, Al-Suhayfa, Al-Karantina, Al-Rehab and Al-Aziziya to find out more about these communities. In Al-Aziziya, Ashwaq Muhammad, an Indian national was found managing an Indian food stall in the neighborhood. ?Indian cuisine in Ramadan is diverse. At Iftar people like to have Jalebi, walnut-filled samosa, falafel, spring rolls, Dahi Bhalla, and mixed fruit with hot spices,? he said. ?These meals are not really eaten other than in Ramadan. Like Arabs and other Muslim nations, we have our own Ramadan traditions. Arabs like to have ful, sambusa and raspberry drinks at Iftar. We have our own customs and foods which many other communities also like. People of different nationalities, including Like Arabs and other Muslim nations, we have our own Ramadan traditions. People of different nationalities, including Saudis, come to buy Indian food. Saudis, Sudanese and Pakistanis, come to buy Indian food in Ramadan. Most of the customers are of course Indians,? Ashwaq said, adding that there is a large turnout of buyers every day because of the ?reasonable prices and distinguished taste?. Khaled Sameer, an Arab customer, said he has Indian meals often. ?I love the spices,? he said. Abdullah Muhammad, a Saudi who loves ethnic food, said he has a passion for Pakistani and Indian meals. In Al-Rehab, with its large Pakistani community, a number of different meals were discovered. ?Our cuisine is different from other Muslim countries in terms of spices,? said Saiyed Iftikhar, who was on his way to the market for some Ramadan items. ?I come to the market every afternoon in Ramadan for sambusas and fruit drinks.? Mushtaq Ahmad, a Pakistani selling traditional food, said he starts getting customers right after Asr prayer. ?Our customers are of different Asian nationalities,? he said. To the south of the city, in Ghulail District, there is a large Bangladeshi community concentrated in the eastern part of Almahjar Street that separates Al-Karantina area. There are also many African communities. In Ghulail, dozens of stalls sell food after Asr prayers, catering to dozens of people. Ahmad Meyah, a Bangladeshi stall vendor, said he makes Ramadan sweets. ?I make special types of Bangladeshi sweets.? In Al-Karantina, a neighborhood of many African communities, there are surprisingly many women selling traditional food from open stalls in the streets. The demand for food increases as Maghreb prayer approaches. In Al-Ruwais, there are many Somali nationals who gather around mosques and shops after Asr prayers and until just before Maghreb. ?The Somali cuisine is almost the same as other Muslim countries, with sambusas and soup, except that we serve meat, banana and milk as part of our main dishes,? said Othman Ahmad, a Somali national. __
