SUDAN: Sudanese break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan with meals and traditional drinks such as Hilumur, a sweet and sour drink, made out of fermented sorghum

Record ID: 435953

  • Title: SUDAN: Sudanese break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan with meals and traditional drinks such as Hilumur, a sweet and sour drink, made out of fermented sorghum
  • Date: 16th August 2011
  • Summary: KHARTOUM, SUDAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMAN PREPARING KISRA KISRA BEING SPREAD ONTO A HOT PLATE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHARTOUM RESIDENT, MAYADA ASIM, SAYING: "Abri or as it is sometimes called Hilumur represents one of the main elements of the Iftar - breaking the fast - tray. We Sudanese are proud of this drink and prefer it more than other soft drinks. We inherited it from our grandfathers and our sons will also inherit it." MORE OF WOMAN PREPARING KISRA ON A HOT PLATE COOKED PIECES OF KISRA ON A PLATE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHARTOUM RESIDENT, SAYADA MOHAMMED, SAYING: "When you want to make the Hilumur wet, you have to bring a pot and water then you put the quantity you want in the pot then you pour over the water. After half an hour or so the mixture needs to be filtered through a sieve. After that sugar is added and it is ready to drink." VARIOUS OF WOMAN PREPARING HILUMUR THE DRINK FERMENTING IN LARGE BUCKETS IFTAR FOOD BEING LAID ON MATTS OUTSIDE THE MOSQUE ROAD OUTSIDE THE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHARTOUM RESIDENT, MOHAMMED OMAR, SAYING: "Hilumur is made from milled sorghum and then cooked just like Kisra. It is a very useful drink because it contains a mixture of spices which are good for stomach aches for those who fast." VARIOUS OF SHOPKEEPER ARRANGING BAGS OF KISRA IN LOCAL SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOP OWNER, MAJID AL-SHARIF, SAYING: "Hilumur has become an ordinary commodity to be sold in the shops just like other soft drinks such as Tang, Oranga and other drinks. It is called Hilumur (Sweet and Sour) because it combines a sweetness and a sourness. It usually dominates Ramadan tables." VARIOUS OF WOMEN SINGING WHILE PREPARING TO DRINK HILUMUR FOR IFTAR MAN DRINKING A GLASS OF HILUMUR
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sudan, Sudan
  • Country: Sudan
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Religion,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA3GYBHX9PIB1Q77CQGQKAK3NEW
  • Story Text: During the long hours of keeping fast for the holy month of Ramadan Muslim women in Sudan spend much of their time in the kitchen preparing treats for the daily breaking of the fast, Iftar.
    With a diverse cuisine traditional foods prepared include plates of dates and piles of Sudanese flatbread Kisra. But one refreshment that is given special attention is the Sudanese drink known as Hilumur.
    Made from fermented sorghum, the sweet and sour beverage is a Sudanese speciality during Ramadan, a tradition that has been passed down generations.
    "Abri or as it is sometimes called Hilumur represents one of the main elements of the Iftar - breaking the fast - tray. We Sudanese are proud of this drink and prefer it more than other soft drinks. We inherited it from our grandfathers and our sons will also inherit it," said Mayada Asim, who prepares the drink with other women in the neighbourhood.
    Hilumur starts as a thick chocolate coloured liquid that is scooped onto a hot plate over a fire and smoothed out until it is thin enough to cook quickly into a pancake. When the edges start to turn crispy and black the pancake is folded expertly into a parcel and placed on a plate to cool.
    After that it's a process of adding liquid and filtering that turns the pancake into something you can drink.
    "When you want to make the Hilumur wet, you have to bring a pot and water then you put the quantity you want in the pot then you pour over the water. After half an hour or so the mixture needs to be filtered through a sieve. After that sugar is added and it is ready to drink," described Sayda Mohmmed.
    Locals believe the drink is the best way to quench thirst after a day of fasting and say it has medicinal properties.
    "Hilumur is made from milled sorghum and then cooked just like Kisra. It is a very useful drink because it contains a mixture of spices which are good for stomach aches for those who fast," said Mohammed Omar, who drinks Hilumur during Ramadan after dusk prayers at his mosque.
    While many families traditionally prepare their own version of the drink at home, Hilumur is now sold over the counter in shops.
    Store keeper Majid Al-Sharif says the taste takes some getting used to but for most Muslims living in Sudan, its more popular than more conventional soft drinks in the cooling cabinet.
    "Hilumur has become an ordinary commodity to be sold in the shops just like other soft drinks such as Tang, Oranga and other drinks. It is called Hilumur (Sweet and Sour) because it combines a sweetness and a sourness. It usually dominates Ramadan tables," said Al-Sharif.
    The name Hilumur literally means sweet and sour in Arabic. But it's also suggested the name has a deeper meaning, encompassing the country's 'bitter-sweet' history - with the sweet standing for the vast fertile territory and the sour standing for the hardships people have suffered in the region.
    ENDS
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