What's happening in the blueberry FoodTech World

Monday, June 4, 2018

Blueberry Iftar!


Have you read this morning's Hindustan Times, from India?  If not, here is the online version:

Caption of above photo in article:  Mohammed Ali Road still has some of the tastiest street food in the country.  It has that great midnight feasting vibe.  But, as blueberry phirni appears next to the traditional plain and saffron, and the old buildings give way to planned, zoned development, one wonders how much of the ancient festival air will remain when all of the dust is settled.  (Hindustan Times File Photo)

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.   This year, Ramadan runs from May 16 to June 14.  During this time fasting is required by Muslims from morning to sunrise to sunset.   The pre-fast meal early in the morning is called suhoor.  The post-fast feast in the evening is called iftar.  The food street action in Mumbai shown in this article is an example of the nightly iftar.  Muslims in India account for around 15% of the total population of 1.3 billion 

Blueberry phirni?  This popular iftar dish is a sweet rice pudding which is very popular in neighboring Pakistan.   Here is a recipe from Super Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Khanzana who has been a big blueberry supported in India!

This recipe was demonstrated in Chef demos held throughout the country during the introduction of fresh blueberries to India in 2012.  Now it is gaining popularity day to day!  Note how Indians like to slice blueberries to get more blueberry appearance!

Do Indians like blueberries in traditional dishes?  In the past years we have worked on a number of recipes including blueberries in Indian dishes.  Where we have seen acceptance is in decadent desserts and dairy beverages.   Blueberries are quite expensive in India and along side pistachios, saffron and gold foil, this sends a message of SPECIAL.   










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