Afghan Food Gets An "A+"!

To a lot of people in North America, Afghanistan represents a dusty far away land full of turmoil and devoid of social justice. It is a country located in Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran. It is a place with cold winters and hot summers, a land of the Muslims, where very few Christians can be found, and where the endless factional violence creates frequent headlines.

Muslims are obligated to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. Friday is the most holy day with most shops being closed. Interestingly, during the holy month of Ramadan, even foreigners must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public.

Honour is a factor in Afghan culture that has caused a lot of emotional suffering through efforts of protecting it and in incidents of losing it. Honour defines the reputation and worth of an individual, as well as those they are associated with. The head male of a family is responsible for protecting the honour of the family. The issue of honour drives much of the behaviour surrounding the protection of women, modes of dress, social interaction, education and economic activity. If someone's honour has been compromised, they are shamed and will look for a way to exact revenge for themselves, their family or group. The role of honour and tribalism has fuelled much of the disharmony in the country's recent history - with one group carrying out violent acts against another, the victims are forced to respond causing a circle of violence.

If you visit this country, you must have some idea of social etiquette that is expected. When you meet someone, you should enquire about things like the person’s health, business or family. You should never shake hands with the opposite sex or even speak directly to the opposite sex. You should also avoid eye contact with the opposite sex. Even with the same sex, it is best to only occasionally look someone in the eyes. I did not realize this and always thought that people of that culture who were here in North America were just not being friendly if they happened to be the one serving me a coffee at the local donut store but finding out about this certainly now makes sense as to why they behave this way.

If a man speaks to a woman directly in a social context, he is dishonouring her. It is equally inappropriate for someone to speak to you on the street.
Men and women should never be alone in the same room. If this happens you should ensure a door is left open. Men and women should never touch one another under any circumstances.

The first rule of gift giving is to never give alcohol. However, if you know from first hand experience that the receiver drinks you may do so but covertly to avoid shame. When bringing a gift to someone’s house, be subtle in how it is given. Do not immediately give the present but rather discreetly place it near the door or where you sit down.

Dining is definitely a different experience in the country of Afghanistan. If eating at someone's home, you will be seated on o the floor, usually on cushions. Food is served on plastic or vinyl tablecloths spread on the floor.
If you can, sit cross-legged. Otherwise sit as comfortably as you can. Do not site with legs outstretched and your feet facing people. Food is eaten with the hands. It will be a case of watch and learn. Food is usually scooped up into a ball at the tip of the fingers, then eaten. The important thing to remember is that if you are getting full, leave food on your plate otherwise it will keep getting filled up again.

Afghan food, an Indian style cuisine, is renowned for its use of aromatic spices and delicious flavour. My wife and I have always been adventurous when it comes to trying foods of a different country and we often are delightfully surprised by the great taste of new spices to our palate.

Recently, we decided to see what a local Afghan restaurant has to offer but because we were tired this particular evening, instead of going to this place to eat, we opted for take out. We had heard that we would not be disappointed with the most delicious grilled meats going served atop pillows of fragrant rice. As we entered this busting eatery, we saw a few women wearing head veils enjoying their Friday evening dinner. We eagerly awaited our sizzling meal as the aromas of garlic and minced onion permeated the entire place.

We opted for the quartet of lamb chops which were milk-fed pieces of the sweetest meat we had ever put into our mouths, along with the mildly spiced kebabs, tender as ever, accompanied by mounds of lightly oiled basmati rice.

As we ate slowly, listening to songs of the Afghan singer, Ahmad Walid, we entered the Afgan now, appreciating all of the foreign fresh spices in our shared dishes. By the end of the meal, we felt the new tastes were almost overpowering and regretted not trying the Afghan dessert offered, a wobbly pudding tasting of caramel and cardamom. It was definitely a real FIRST experience and will definitely be the first of many other times we do AFGHAN instead of CHINESE or INDIAN, for a change.