You know Ramadan’s coming…
July 6, 2011
… when your local shop stops carrying garlic.
Today I went to the shop in my market town specifically to buy garlic. Thankfully that wasn’t the only reason I waited for over an hour to catch a ride in to town. When I asked if they had garlic, the shopkeeper gave me a look like I was just a little off, and said, “No, we don’t have garlic. Ramadan!”
It’s true, no garlic during Ramadan. But we still have a solid three weeks before that holy month hits. Surely someone has some still? My only hope is to go to Tiznit on Friday, insha’allah I’ll find some… I do have garlic bouillon cubes, but those just aren’t the same.
The deal with garlic during Ramadan is interesting. It’s informally outlawed because it gives everyone who eats it bad breath, and no one wants to be in a crowded mosque with someone who has bad breath. I guess the idea is that more people will be spending more time in the mosques during the month than during the rest of the year. Kind of like Christmas and Easter for Christians?
If I find garlic on Friday, I’m going to stock up. It’ll be a long two months of dull cooking without it.
