“Margarine…compensates”, Um Mohammed a 45 year old lady (married, 5 children) started her conversation with. A pure believer in margarine…”gives taste to food and is healthy according to her”.
An extremely traditional woman in cooking…where she believes kitchen is the source of health and nutrition…looks for all kinds of traditional Saudi food and sweets…everything related to Saudi traditional cuisine rice, jreesh, Kabsa, Samboosa…local sweets…
A contradictive woman…relating kitchen to health and nutrition, yet uses margarine, canned and frozen stuff…easy to use and quick in preparation. We understood from her that margarine has always been used in the family (great grandmother downwards) and she believes in maintaining traditions and cultural values even within food.
Butter is not used at home… “No formula says butter is healthier”… According to her, ‘butter has no taste.”…not of her interest…margarine is even used in sweets…and as she mentioned, “why to worry about obesity or health issues…it doesn’t exist in the family and thanks God everybody is fine”.
Local supermarkets such as “Othaim” are more of her interest, since it involves all kinds of local Saudi products with cheaper prices compared to other supermarkets. “We are a big family and we can neither afford trying new sophisticated menus nor expensive products. Local supermarkets are cheaper and understand the Saudi needs more than foreign ones; plus on constant promotions all the year through within our targeted products: Macaroni, spices, Maggie flavors, family size margarine, dairy products (local milk & relevant), cooking oil (Shams)”…I basically buy local brands…everything is available within local brands and cheaper as well”, she clarified.
Indirectly, Lurpak was mentioned…spontaneous aggressive reaction: “Denmark…they insulted the Profit (Peace Be upon Him).” Already butter (all kinds) is not used at their homes (to shift brand) and the grudge was very clear towards Denmark. “Even if free of charge, we will never use products related to Denmark…it is not only my opinion but all our family”. (She was so aggressive on this subject).
Quite convinced margarine is indispensable… when cooking cakes, croissants, local sweets of all kinds and other pastries, even a teaspoon of margarine in all kinds of soup…has lots of interest to create and try new menus yet related to the Saudi culture..
Attached to the Saudi values, she roams around the old generation in her family to learn and get new menus of food and sweets. “Why should I watch cooking programs or read new menus when I can learn the original from my mother & grandmother? Saudi menus require margarine and not butter”…
We noticed even if a certain foodstuff requires butter, automatically she replaces it with margarine convinced that it is “tastier”…more important the “family size margarine” lasts longer.
Food lovers of traditional cuisine…Following family ancestors’ books is sacred…in particular using margarine in all types of food and sweets. Butter is not in their dictionary…we even realized that the kids to school are accompanied with (Marai) spread cheese / spread cream sandwiches.
Thursday night family dinner is sanctified (in any of their homes). Five to six main dishes (rice and relevant) are prepared in addition to other side dishes… all homemade…all requires butter…yet to them, margarine is tastier…margarine is the tradition.
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