Salted fish has a special status in the northern West Bank city of Nablus being a popular breakfast for many of its residents on the morning of Eid Al-Fitr because they see benefits in it in terms of increasing drinking water and compensating for the lack of fluids in Ramadan.
Salted fish is one of the most popular dishes on the tables of people of Nablus on the morning of Eid Al-Fitr and it had been traditionally eaten since ancient times. It is accompanied by a sliced and fried tomato dish with peppers and onions.
The residents of the city of Nablus are famous for this meal because they inherited it from their ancestors while the residents of neighboring villages prefer to have Moulaq as a main meal on the morning of the Eid.
Bassem al-Tahir 55 from the city of Nablus said: “My family used to eat salted fish on the first day of Eid al-Fitr and if we do not have it we do not feel the real atmosphere of Eid.”
He confirmed to the PIC that his mother was always keen to have salted fish as the main meal on the morning of the Eid a tradition she inherited from her mother.
Shorouk Al-Jitan 50 does not trust the salted fish sold in the markets and instead she buys fish in the first ten days of Ramadan and adds salt to it to be ready by the end of the month.
The Abu Lail family of Balata refugee camp is proud of observing the customs of the last days of Ramadan and the special days of Eid a tradition they started prior to their displacement in 1948 from the town of Jammasin in Jaffa.
Maqlouba is a popular dish for the majority of Palestinian families during Ramadan while they have fish and salted food during Eid.
Price of salted fish
Yazan Marshoud a salesman of salted fish said that the demand increases in the last three days of the holy month of Ramadan noting that every year he makes 3-4 tons of salted fish. He pointed out that its price ranges from 10 to 30 Shekels.
As for the preference of many citizens of making salted fish at home Marshoud said: This had to do with extent of these citizens’ satisfaction of those who work in the salted fish industry where quality varies from one factory to another.
Nutrition specialist Khulud Janajra said that after eating salted fish drinking large quantities of water should help the body get rid of salt and that people should avoid drinking soft drinks.
She added to the PIC that soft drinks increase the proportion of salts in the body recommending drinking natural juices that clean the body of toxins and help the stomach digest the food.
