It’s finally here! Ramadan’s finally arrived!

Ramadan and the festival of Hari Raya Puasa is one of the major religious events on the calendar of Muslims.

The holy month is one that is most important to the Muslim population, not only in Malaysia, but also across the world.

During this month, devout Muslims will fast for a period of 30 days, from sunrise to sunset, before breaking fast with their family.

This meal, called the iftar, differs not only from household to household, but also from country to country.

Here are how five types of iftar meals from different countries around the world:

1. Saudi Arabia

As soon as the sun has set over the homeland of the Prophet Muhammad, everyone knows that the time has arrived for one dish and one dish only.

It is hard to find an Arab who doesn’t like samboosas, better known as samosas in other parts of the world.

Eaten and enjoyed by both rich and poor, they are the mainstay of any Arab household’s dining table during Ramadan.

Filled with ground meat, sticky cheese and vegetables, these little crunchy bits of pastry make for a good snack to enjoy after a long day of fasting.

Aside from samboosas, qatayefs are also a type of food commonly eaten during the holy month, with the dish resembling a miniature pancake.

They come in two forms, one filled with chopped nuts such as pistachios and walnuts, and the other with sweet cheese.

Either way, the pancakes are folded in half and deep fried before being dunked into sugar syrup, to make the crispy pastry a godsend to people with sweet tooths.

2. Turkey

In Turkey, Ramadan is called Ramazan, and the classic Turkish way of breaking fast is to tuck into a meal of Ramazan pidesi.

A cherished local and apparently fluffy bread, you can spot it from miles away with its large circular design and unique criss-cross appearance.

After gorging on the main course, Turks often turn to gullac for their dessert needs.

Similar to baklava, this pastry is made from many layers of thin corn starch, which are then soaked in rosewater-infused milk before being topped with crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

This dessert is a light on the stomach on purpose, as stuffing one’s self with heavy desserts on an empty stomach could result in unpleasant sensations later.

3. Indonesia

So, what are Malaysia’s islander neighbours having for iftar? For most Indonesians, the answer would be kolak.

This sweet dessert has a base of creamy coconut milk, cooked with palm sugar and flavoured with pandan leaves.

Afterwards, an assortment of ingredients are tossed in, with bananas, sweet potatoes and jackfruit being on the list of possibilities.

A particularly popular addition is that of chewy sweet potato dough, used in a variant of kolak known as kolak biji salak.

Also on the sweet side is the delicacy known as “es buah”, which is a fruity cocktail containing diced fruits, flavoured jellies, basil seeds and coconut milk.

This is a cool and refreshing dessert that helps beat the sweltering Indonesian heat that tends to hit around Ramadan.

4. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

For the citizens of the UAE, breaking fast is not complete without a serving of harees, which may look like a porridge to outsiders.

Like porridge, it is an easily digested meal, but it is surprisingly filling, being made from pearled and stewed wheat.

It has a texture similar to oatmeal, and once cooked, bits of meat, chunks of ghee and a pinch of spices are often added to enhance the fragrance.

In addition to harees, thareed is often served. This is a slow-cooked lamb and vegetable stew.

It is always served atop a thin, crunchy flatbread known as reqaq; surprisingly, the dish is named in the Hadith as one of Prophet Muhammad’s favourites.

5. Morocco

Given that the dish originated from the land of the Berbers, couscous is an unsurprising sight on Moroccan dining tables during iftar.

A dish that is as pretty as it is delicious, couscous is often served with meat alongside a variety of vegetables, with chickpeas being a necessity.

For an iftar meal, couscous is surprisingly nutritious, packed as it is with high levels of protein. It is traditionally served on Fridays.

Aside from couscous, chicken and rice soup are also viable options for iftar, with potatoes, vermicelli noodles and tomatoes cooked in a chicken broth.

A warm and healthy meal to break fast with, it is often viewed by Moroccans as the epitome of comfort food.