One would think the only thing on a restaurant worker’s mind during Ramadan is to have his fill of the mouth-watering food he prepares during the day.
But the only thing chefs and waiters fasting during the holy month of Ramadan want at the end of a hot day is cold water - or ayran in some cases.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month during which believers fast between dawn and dusk. The purpose of the daily fast is to cleanse the soul and subdue worldly desires and is concluded with Bayram, a three-day feast.
But for Turkey’s restaurant staff, preparing and dishing up tasty meals for customers all day while having to fast is not an easy task. Adding the fact that it is over 30C (86f) outside makes it even more unbearable.
“Of course it’s hard to work all day fasting in hot weather, but when you see ayran [a Turkish national drink made with yogurt] served with ice you can’t stop but be tempted” said Kasim Capar, 52, a chef in Ankara.
“Some days cold ayran is all I can think about and it’s the only thing I break my fast with.”
“I’ve been fasting for 30 years and Satan has been tempting me ever since” said head chef Cemal Polat, 43. “Water is on my mind every second and minute. I start getting tenser towards the last hours.”
The staff around him joked that he is already nervy and fasting adds to his bad temper. “My friends are cautious when approaching me because they fear my moody reaction,” said Polat.
- Iftar comes an hour late
It’s bad enough to wait 17 hours - between approximately 3.30am and 8.30pm – for iftar, the fast-breaking meal at the end of the day. But for Ankara’s chefs and waiters, the customer comes first and iftar comes more than an hour after everyone else has broken their fast.
Having to watch others eat and drink as you serve them is the test waiters and chefs face during Ramadan iftars. By the time the customers are done eating, depending on how crowded the restaurant is, it’s well past 9.30pm and it’s the restaurant workers’ turn to eat.
“We only have time to drink a sip of water or eat a few olives before we have to get back to our customers,” says Kasim. “I can start eating once the customers are done with their dinner and go on to tea. Their first cup of tea means my soup while their second, my main course.”
This year Ramadan runs from June 28 to July 27 in Turkey. Every year the date changes, going back ten days according to the Islamic calendar.
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