- As evening approaches and Muslims break the fast, streets in the coastal city turn into open air Iftar buffets.
- The streets are taken over by food vendors and transformed into a vibrant food bazaar but faithfuls have to wait until dusk to partake in the mouthwatering delicacies on display.
Every year, Muslims world over observe the holy month of Ramadhan in which they are required to fast from dawn until dusk.
In Mombasa, Ramadhan feels like a month-long festival as street vendors have taken advantage of it and set up makeshift food stalls colloquially known as the ‘Taj Mahal’.
As evening approaches and Muslims break the fast, streets in the coastal city turn into open air Iftar buffets.
The streets are taken over by food vendors and transformed into a vibrant food bazaar but faithfuls have to wait until dusk to partake in the mouthwatering delicacies on display.
A spot check by KNA on the open air eateries shows people arriving as early as 4 pm to buy their favourite delicacies for breaking the fast at around 6.30 pm.
Once the sun sets, Muslims break their fast with iftar which is often a large community event.
The food bazaars provide veritable delectable treats that satisfy even the most fervent appetites.
During the period, almost all hotels and restaurants are closed as owners and patrons observe the fast with some hotel owners taking advantage of the fasting season to embark on renovations.
Tourists and non-Muslims have nowhere to eat out and are forced to enjoy delicacies from the street vendors.
Markets bustle with people as residents engage not just in the food on display but also in cultural, religious, and social activities especially at night.
Ramadhan which is currently underway, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed as a month of fasting, devotion and reflection.
Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink, sexual relations and displeasing speech and behaviour from dawn until dusk.
The open air eateries come alive in the evenings and are popular with both Muslims and non-Muslims.
The food bazaars not only make it convenient for Muslims observing the fast to buy food at good prices but have attracted non-Muslims to buy delicacies even though they are not observing or breaking any religious fast.
Fasting during Ramadhan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of the faith, five daily prayers, giving Zakah (charity) and performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Fasting is compulsory for every Muslim faithful but exemptions include children under the age of puberty, the mentally challenged and the elderly.
Others include the sick whose health is likely to be severely affected by the observance of fast, pregnant and breast-feeding women and women on their menstruation.
The mushrooming street food bazaars have become a sort of an annual tourist phenomenon.
Some of the Swahili delicacies sold include dates, pancakes, Mkate wa sinia (flat bread), kebab, Shawarma, samosas, mahamri (Swahili doughnut), Kaimati (sweet dumplings) and Viazi karai (fried potatoes), Vibibi (rice and coconut pancake), Bhajia (delectable Swahili fritters) among other delicacies.
Swahili dishes are a diverse mix of Indian, Arab and Portuguese food. Mombasa’s history of migration and trade has influenced its cuisine.
The rise in popularity of Ramadhan bazaars may be directly attributed to the wide range of food sold and the opportunities afforded to the many stallholders.
But even with the seemingly high demand for the delicacies this month, traders are complaining that it has become difficult to buy ingredients for the food items this year due to the increase in commodity prices.
Aboud Athman, a food vendor said prices of various products have gone up forcing them to compromise on the portions.
“It is difficult to cope with the soaring prices of essential items while preparing Ramadhan food. It was not possible for us to maintain the previous prices for many items this year,” he said.
Athman said the government should take measures to lower the prices of staple foods.
He said each Ramadhan season, Mombasa comes to life with street food festivals highlighting its heritage shaped by centuries of interaction with visitors from Persia, Arabia, China, India and Europe in a carnival atmosphere.
“The various food items on sale are genuinely home-cooked and freshly made to be sold only in the evenings for consumers to buy as a takeaway to break the fast,” said Ali Mahmoud, another street food vendor.
Mahmoud, a veteran street food vendor said the delicacies are homemade and follow authentic recipes, something that is rarely found in restaurants.
He said apart from offering traditional foods, the street food bazaar has become lively gathering places for food exploration and socialising.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has been strolling the streets in the evenings interacting with residents.
Governor Nassir said he is delighted to share the moment with fellow Muslim faithful in partaking in the evening meal to break the fast.
He said the evening street visits were meant to demonstrate the need for leaders to show responsibility and empathy for the people around them.
Nassir said Ramadhan is a month where Muslims from all walks of life come together and make sacrifices while also carrying out charitable acts such as generosity, empathy and community support.