Women’s collective on a rare cooking mission

More than 60 women gather every day in a small village on the western coast of the island for a special mission – cooking food for those who take part in mourning processions as part of the Ashoora rituals.

They prepare about 750 kg of food every day before distributing them to mourners and visitors to the village. ‘Muharram kitchen’ has been part of Malkiya traditions for a long time now.

Speaking to Tribune, Alawi Habeeb, a Malkiya resident, who is in charge of these kitchens, said that preparations to serve food begin well in advance.

These kitchens are known as Mudheef and have been part of the Ashoora season since 2003.

“We have been collectively working to serve food to mourners and visitors while making sure that no food gets wasted. This is one tradition we inherited from our ancestors. Every year we work hard to preserve this tradition.”

“The team begins their work early morning. We use wood and palm tree branches for cooking, which lasts for over seven hours. But, we ensure that the food is well cooked.”