Free Food Diary Analysis Essay Sample

There are a many tribes of the Arabs such as nomads, northern and southern Arabs, Arabs of the Red sea and of the Gulf among others scattered throughout the Peninsula. However, they are all known to have their own food traditions and different kinds of cooking lifestyles .The Arabian region consists of desert plateaus where rainfall is rare or unpredictable. Some parts of the desert are best irrigated and produce wheat, peaches, grapes, almonds, pomegranates and so on. Although the Arabic cuisine differs from region to region there are common foods or ingredients such as lentils, fava beans, and saffron and sesame seed oil and so on. Most of Arabic food consists of fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, eggplant, and courgettes. Tea is also popular and is consumed regularly. Since Muslims do not consume pork and alcohol, the most common meat dishes include lamb and chicken. On the dairy products yourghurt made from goat, cow and sheep milk is served on almost every meal. By sampling the Arabian cuisine, I started experiencing their diverse culture. It was abit difficult for me to sample a different menu but it turned out to be such an incredible tasty cuisine.

Part 1

Day one - Friday

I chose to sample a Palestinian dish known as Musakhkhan.I found quite interesting since it is typically eaten with ones hand (no cutlery used).The dish is made from fowl which is seasoned with sumac (a spice that is sour and lemonish taste).The chicken is boiled with a lot of onions init until tender, once it is cooked it is wrapped in Shrak leaves(also known as  lavash bread  in America).The tasty cuisine was served with a creamy roasted  garlic, this had such a nutty and sweet aroma and definitely went down well with the Musakhkhan. On the side I served a colorful salad which took me a little while before getting used to it but it was worthwhile sampling it. It was simply made of seedless cucumber, tomatoes parsley onions lemon and a dash of olive oil. All were diced and mixed in a bowl.

Part 2

Day two - Sunday

Being a weekend, it was my day to lounge and pass my day relaxing. I chose to sample a very popular recipe mostly served during Ramadhan.It is known as Konafa with Ricotta and cream filling. It s more of a dessert and it goes well with nuts, fruits cheese or even honey as the topping. I chose to down the sumptuous delicacy with a glass of buttermilk fruit Sherbet.

Eating on a 5dollar a day

Most people have confused or assumed that cheap eating is poor eating. Hence study shows that it is possible to make healthy food choices at the same time save money and improve the quality of our diets. To achieve the 5$ a day budget it is good to embrace  practices such eating only organic and also choose to buy food and make it from the scratch .This is because processed food may be less nutritious .By avoiding waste of food one can save so much at the end of the day. Left over should be kept for use another day or reshuffled in the next meal.

Part 3

It was an experience that was so tantalizing in that I got the chance to sample a new whole world of food and culture. It true we are what we eat, I noticed the Arabs normally eat foods that are made from scratch ranging from nuts, spices and herbs, vegetables and fruits among other ingredients served to create a perfect cuisine. The manner in which food is served matters a lot I learnt that the Arabs have a great spirit of togetherness and really value the family sharing a meal. In Arab generally the concept of generosity and hospitality is a great deal hence there is so much warmth over meal. I guess it is because of their large families and culture of sharing .This is more evident in occasions such as Ramadhan, Fuutur, sahuur etc.

I noted that in the Arab world there is one regular structure or pattern of meals and a special one for the month of Ramadhan. The regular one consists of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Ramadhan one has Futuur a meal taken at dusk to break the fast and Suhuur taken at dusk to begin the fast. My first meal being on a Friday, the Arabs go the mosque on such a day hence after prayer they gather at their houses as a family and share over one large meal. The meal is kind of a buffet where various foods are served and one can take can food of their choice. The food I chose was taken using hands only and no cutlery was required. Unlike the food I took on the second day which was during Futuur (at dusk as they were breaking their fast).It was such an awesome experience since I experienced new types of foods from the vast Arab world.

I also noticed that most of the Arab food are prepared using Pressure cookers since they entail a lot of prior preparation such as boiling, blanching etc their cooking techniques for different recipes is easy and consumes less time yet their food is very nutritious and delicious. Unlike where I come from, I note that much emphasis is put on specific items to make their cuisine. These are lamb and chicken for meats, yoghurt, herbs and spices, cucumbers, okra and onions nuts are also used widely in their recipes. Most of the Arabic food is considered medicinal too.

In my opinion, it is possible to eat healthy within a person’s means. This can be achieved by proper planning which includes shopping only with available money hence buying fresh foods that should be used at once. As public health official, I would enlighten communities on basic nutrition value and how to achieve this best from the simplest foods available such as legumes.

 

Have NO Inspiration
to write your essay?

Ask for Professional help