5 Reasons why you
would dine at an Arabs house
From tens to hundreds of varieties of dates to the reputable
sauce that is the hummus, the Arab dining table is one that should not be let
amiss if given the chance - nay, I daresay: if one hasn't attended a true Arab
feast, then they have not seen what it is like to dine. You might consider my declaration
hollow, but after reading the reasons I have listed, I hope you perceptions
change and you're left craving for an invitation..or you might just walk into
an Arabs house uninvited and that brings me to my first point:
1) "Here comes my guest!"
Originally amongst the Bedouins, the subtitled phrase is
what was exclaimed when a stranger was spotted from afar by a family member and
thus they had "claimed" the guest. Said stranger guest would then be
welcomed by a generous meal...even if it means the host family goes without it.
This custom has carried out to many Arabs living in urban cities now because
one thing that should never be ignored about these humble people is that they
take their tradition to the grave. So if you do decide to show up at the house
of a traditional Arab, don't be surprised when you're invited for the something
more than your regular Mac.
2) "We wish for no rewards nor thanks from you"
It would be common
courtesy for one to feel obliged to return the generous favour of dining
through a gift or perhaps even inviting the host family over to your own
house for dinner. However, the subtitled
phrase has been extracted straight out of the Holy Quran[76.8-9]. What needs to
be noted here is that Islam has been the prime religion of most Arabs for the past
1400 years and so it is so interwoven into their culture that often you hear
even the Non-Muslim Arabs use Islamic phrases is common speech. What needs to
be taken from this is that regardless of the religion of the Arab, there are
several common traditional beliefs that have been derived from Religion and
this is a key one of them. So when you do dine at your Arab acquaintances'
house, don't be too consumed about the burden of a gift or favour in return.
3) Short visits don't even count.
It is a customary belief that brief visits from guests in
which tea or coffee is offered only count as a "stop-by" and not even
a real visit. Two things should be noted here; when you are offered
"tea" from an Arab, never only expect tea. It will surely be
accompanied by extra sweets and perhaps even varieties of tea. Secondly, if you
do decide to "stop-by", you will be forced to return for a "proper
visit", and at this point it is customary for the Arab to express that it
is due to the fact that they couldn't enjoy the company of the guest for long
enough. So if you do feel hungry in between that awkward time amid lunch and
dinner, feel absolutely free to pay a visit to your Arab friend.
4) Food.
Enough with the side-hospitality; this is the real deal. Arab
food can be quite interesting to a guest who is not accustomed to the different
spices and textures. Some common Arab dishes that have only recently become
popular here in America include Hummus, Shawerma, stuffed grape leaves
(dolmas), Baklava, Falafel, Taboula, and Cuscus. Yet, these dishes are not the
only types of dishes. Arab food is quite diverse. There are many concoctions of
ingredients that make up Arab cuisine. Wheat makes up bread and
pastries. Rice is consumed at almost every meal. Vegetables, such as zucchini,
eggplant and onion are cooked with chicken, lamb or beef to produce a semi-stew
or kabob. Olive Oil and lemon with a hint of garlic is used to season salads.
Beans, yogurt and vegetables are turned into dips and sauces, which are then
drizzled over more rice and bread. The sight, let alone aroma is
tantalizing. Oh, and don't feel shy about trying everything out because the
host will show great disappointment if their guest hasn't sampled everything
and will not stop suggesting, or even forcing, things in your plate until it is
blatant that you are stuffed till your throat.
5) "My home is your home"
As soon as you lay foot into the household of your Arab
friend, you are bound to be engulfed by antique furniture and Religious imagery
of some sort. For reasons that are beyond my intellect, Arabs always manage to
create a very welcoming household that invites a guest without demanding their
presence. I've left this point to the very last because its veritable impact
can only truly be felt after one has stepped foot into the house. Building on
from this traditionally devised yet unintentionally created inviting
atmosphere, the subtitled phrase is in
fact a traditional greeting offered by the hosts to any guests. The impact this
has, along with the atmosphere of the surroundings, truly makes on feel like
the place where they stand is where they belong. And if that's how you are left
feeling by the end of the evening, then you have felt the full impact of Arab
hospitality.
Having quantified the aforementioned points, I would highly
recommend that one pays a visit to a traditional Arab dinner at least once in
their life; oh, and mind you, I'm not an Arab. The only reason I'm so familiar
with the formalities is because I've lived a major part of my life in arguably
the heart of it all - Saudi Arabia. And with that, I bid you farewell in the
traditional manner:
"May peace be upon you"
*Note: This applies to traditional Arab values and mostly
every Arab I've ever met but isn't necessarily thoroughly representative.
