Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, a wide variety of foods is prepared to break the fast at Maghrib time. Some of the common iftar items from Bangladeshi cuisine include Piyaju (made of pulse, onion and pulse powder), Beguni (made of eggplant and pulse powder), Jilapi, Muri (puffed crunchy rice grains, usually spiced with onion, garlic, chilli and other iftar items), Haleem, dates, samosas, Dal Puri (a type of lentil based pastry), Chola (cooked chickpeas), traditional Bengali sweets and different types of fruits such as watermelon. Drinks such as Rooh Afza and lemon sharbat are common on iftar tables across the country. People like to have iftar at home with all family members and iftar parties are also arranged by different offices and organisations.

Brunei

In Brunei, iftar is called “sungkai”. Traditionally this is held in the mosque or masjid for those who have prayed. In the mosque, a buffet is prepared by the government and local residents. Before the iftar, the beduk must be heard as a signal for beginning sungkai. Sungaki also means when a person decided to break their fast during daylight hours (the prescribed fasting time). Bruneians usually celebrate sungkai in restaurants (with reserved seats).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar

See also: Idul Fitri, Hamper Hari Raya, Hari Raya Hampers

Qasida (also spelled qasidah), in Arabic: قصيدة, plural qasā’id, قــصــائـد; in Persian: قصیده (or چكامه, chakameh), is a form of poetry from pre-Islamic Arabia. It typically runs more than 50 lines, and sometimes more than 100. It was later inherited by the Persians, where it became sometimes longer than 100 lines and was used and developed immensely.

Qasida is often panegyric written in praise of a king or a nobleman. This kind of qasidah is known as a madih meaning praise. Qasidas have a single presiding subject, logically developed and concluded.

The classic form of qasida maintains a single elaborate meter throughout the poem, and every line rhymes. These poems are considered some of the most elaborate in the world.

In his 9th century Kitab al-shi’r wa-al-shu’ara’ (Book of Poetry and Poets) the Arabic writer ibn Qutaybah says that (Arabic) qasida are formed of three parts: – They start, he says, with a nostalgic opening in which the poets reflects on what has passed, known as nasib. A common concept is the pursuit of the poet of the caravan of his love; by the time he reaches their campsite they have already moved on. – The nasib is usually followed by the takhallus – a release or disengagement. The poet often achieved this disengagement by describing his transition from the nostalgia of the nasib to the next portion of the poem. The second section is rahil (travel section) in which the poet contemplates the harshness of nature and life away from the tribe. – Finally there is the message of the poem, which can take several forms: praise of the tribe, fakhr; satire about other tribes, hija; or some moral maxims, hikam.

While many poets have intentionally or unintentionally deviated from this plan in their qasida it is recognisable in many.

One of the most popular and well known qasidas is the Qasida Burda (“Poem of the Mantle”) by Imam al-Busiri.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasida

See also: Lebaran, Hari Raya, Ramadan Gift

 The Saturnalia was initially a Roman festival in honor of the god Saturn, originally as an EN on Day 17 December was celebrated and moved to the Julian calendar reform of the daily character to NP status. The Saturnalia found only after 45 BC as a multi-day festival between 17 and 23 December application, but later to 30 December has been extended.

The date goes back to the founding date the temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum.

The celebrations began with a sacrifice before the temple of Saturn and a public feast. Public institutions were closed during the Saturnalia. The temple held public feeding. It was customary to give gifts to the Saturnalia.

The most important aspect of the Saturnalia was the abolition of class distinctions, even slaves were treated on that day by their masters as equals, in part, the roles were actually reversed, so that the men served their slaves. It was a Saturnalia prince (princeps Saturnalicus chosen), in part, this was also Bibendi rex (“king of drinking”) called.  

This name also point to the strong increase in wine consumption down during the holidays. Not only the wine was drunk during the holidays to a great extent, it was officially allowed the dice game for money. Even otherwise, the morality eased considerably during the holidays.

In some German universities (such as Cologne and Kiel) are now traditional “Saturnalia” organized as a student party in which one settles into the festive season with the lecturers “.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalien

See Also: idul fitri, hamper hari raya, hari raya hampers

Tiramisu (Italian: Tiramisù; Venetian: Tiramesù ” [tirameˈsu]) is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of savoiardi (otherwise known as lady finger biscuits) dipped in espresso or strong coffee or rum, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, and sugar, and topped with cocoa.

Tiramisu has become a very popular dessert. The recipe has been adapted into cakes, puddings, and other varieties of dessert.

There is some debate regarding tiramisu’s origin, as there is no documented mention of the dessert before 1983. In 1998, Fernando and Tina Raris similarly claimed that the dessert is a recent invention. They point out that while the recipes and histories of other layered desserts are very similar, the first documented mention of tiramisu in a published work appears in a Greek cookbook. Backing up this story, the authors recalled an article that tiramisu was created in 1971 in Treviso by Giuseppe Di Clemente. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary gives 1982 as the year of origin.

Several sources (from Vin Veneto, dated 1981, to the Italian Academy of Giuseppe Maffioli and several cuisine websites) claim that tiramisu was invented in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant by the god-daughter and apprentice of confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, Francesca Valori, whose maiden name was Tiramisu. It is believed that Linguanotto named the dish in honour of Francesca’s culinary skill.

Other sources report the creation of the cake to have originated in the city of Siena. Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the city. Alternatively, accounts by Carminantonio Iannaccone as researched and written about by The Washington Post establish the creation of tiramisu by him on December 24, 1969, in Via Sottotreviso while he was head chef at Treviso, near Venice.

The original recipe called for the following ingredients: savoiardi biscuits, eggs, sugar, mascarpone, cocoa powder, honey, and carbonated water.

In the original recipe, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly, and the original shape was round. The phrase tirami su literally means “pick me up” or “pull me up” in reference to the effects of the espresso.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiramisu

See also: Idul Fitri, Hamper Hari Raya, Hari Raya Hampers

The korma style is similar to all other braising techniques in that the meat or vegetable is first cooked briskly or seared using a high heat and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid. The pot may be sealed with dough during the last stages of cooking.

Chicken or other poultry requires fairly thorough coating with the spice mixture, or marinating, and heating evenly in cooking oil or ghee at a high enough temperature to cook through, followed by a cooling period after which yoghurt and/or cream may be added. However, lamb requires a very brief initial searing to brown the surface of each piece, followed by a braising at a continuous low temperature. This prevents the lamb from toughening, a particular problem if a large amount is to be cooked; temperature heterogeneity is difficult if the mixture is left to stand. This low cooking temperature is usually quite difficult to achieve, but if done correctly results in a memorable dish.

The korma can make use of a technique called bhogar: later in the cooking, additional spices are mixed with heated ghee and then combined with the sauce formed by the braising; the pan is then covered and shaken to release steam and mix the contents.

There is a wide variation between individual korma and other “curry” recipes. Chilli and ginger are often used, but the precise method of preparation results in widely different flavours. Bay leaves or dried coconut may be added, the latter being a predominantly South Indian flavouring.

A korma pilau is a rice and meat dish made with braised meat.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korma

See also: Lebaran, Hari Raya, Ramadan Gift

The cocktail bun, a specialty of Hong Kong, originating in the 1950s, is a type of bun stuffed with a filling made of unsold buns, sugar, and shredded coconut. At the time, the proprietors of bakeries found aversion to the wasteful disposal of unsold, but nonetheless edible, buns. As a solution to this problem, the cost-saving cocktail bun was formulated.

By mashing the left-over buns and adding granulated sugar, buns left unsold could be resold. This hodgepodge of ingredients likened it to the bakery counterpart of alcoholic cocktails, thus deriving its name. Later on, shredded coconut was added to the recipe, producing an even more appetizing flavor.

The shiny golden-brown exterior color comes from a combination of a light egg wash and/or sugar glaze. The chewy interior is bread-like with the coconut filling. The exterior also often has some swoosh mark made from the coconut filling and may have sprinkled sesame seeds.

Each bun is approximately 6 to 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches high in the shape of a small baguette.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_bun

See also: Sending Flowers, Online Florist, Florist

A chiffon cake is a very light cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings. In contrast to butter, the traditional fat used in cake making, it is difficult to beat air into oil, so chiffon cakes, like angel cakes and other foam cakes, achieve a fluffy texture by beating egg whites until stiff, and folding them into the cake batter before baking.

The high oil and egg content creates a very moist cake, and as oil is liquid even at cooler temperatures, chiffon cakes do not tend to harden or dry out as traditional butter cakes might. This makes them better-suited than many cakes to filling or frosting with ingredients that need to be refrigerated or frozen, such as pastry cream or ice cream. Chiffon cakes tend to be lower in saturated fat than butter cakes, potentially making them healthier than their butter-heavy counterparts. The lack of butter, however, means that chiffon cakes lack much of the rich flavor of butter cakes, and hence they are typically served accompanied with flavorful sauces or other accompaniments, such as chocolate or fruit fillings.

The chiffon cake was invented in 1927 by Harry Baker, a California insurance salesman turned caterer. Mr. Baker kept the recipe secret for 20 years until he sold it to General Mills. At this point the name was changed to “chiffon cake” and a set of 14 recipes and variations was released to the public in a Betty Crocker pamphlet published in 1948.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffon_cake

See also: International Flower Delivery, Florist, Flowers Discount Code

Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia grandiflora, or magnolia grandiflora, or tulip-bay (Magnolia grandiflora) is a tall tree. Probably because of its beautiful evergreen is the best known of magnolias. It is native to the United States and widely cultivated as an ornamental tree.

Distribution
Habitat
It is a tree native to south-eastern United States, from Texas to Virginia through northern and central Florida.

Acclimation Europe
The tree was introduced in Europe in the eighteenth century. Probably Admiral Roland Michel Barrin of Galissonniere that matter in France, near Nantes, in 1711. Twenty years later, Rene Darquistade, Mayor of Nantes, this gas at the plant near Maillardière Rezé. In 1764, thanks to a branch brought back by the young apothecary named Louvrier, François Bonamy identifies the magnolia.

Source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_%C3%A0_grandes_fleurs

See Also: Lebaran, Hari Raya, Ramadan Gift