Like people of many other faiths, Muslims fast on various occasions. The most important of these is the month of Ramadan, during which the The Recitation (Qur’an) was revealed to prophet Muhammad. Many will begin their iftar (‘break of the fast’) at sunset with a prayer, a handful of dates and some water, in remembrance of how the Prophet ended his fast.
For Bosnians, however, a rich fondue mixture called topa or umak (‘dip’) is synonymous with Ramadan. It is a simple recipe, and you are welcome to be inventive with it. Each household has their own version (of course, always better than anyone else’s). During the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, we would try to make a simpler version with humanitarian aid cheese. Nowadays, umak features more ingredients, but the main one – the sense of sharing and intimacy with your loved ones – does not change.
When the iftar approached, and the seductive scent of umak lingered on the table in front of us, everyone would meditatively listen to the melodies of ezan (‘call for prayer’) from the radio, but my sister Hatidža would invariably make weird, funny faces at me, trying to make me laugh. It was my favourite part of the evening. She still does this, but now her kids, Ahmed and Đula, join in on it as well. Following iftar, we are too full for much else, so we watch a film or take a nap (often a nap during a film).
If you do Muslim-style fasting, you can then enjoy life's delights from the sunset ‘until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread of night’ (Qur’an 2: 187). My aunt Halida's secretive umak recipe below is widely acknowledged as the best, so this is an exclusive for the Faculty of Divinity! Thanks also go to Fatima, my cousin (Halida's daughter) who sent the recipe. All mistakes are my own!
Ingredients
1. Kajmak (400 ml), if possible, several types of kajmak.
[Pronounced kaymak, this is a rich dairy product similar to clotted cream. It has a high percentage of milk fat. The best one comes from the Field of Gacko, where I conducted a lot of fieldwork. You can get this on Mill Road in Cambridge. If unavailable, you can substitute with Cornish clotted cream.].
2. Sour cream (200 ml)
3. Salty creamy cheese, for example Danish feta (4-5 tablespoons)
4. Single cream (200 ml)
5. Hard Bosnian cheese (dry/smoked cheese of any kind – maybe aged Cheddar – may substitute this; grate in a couple of tablespoons)
6. Butter (70 g)
7. Somun (Bosnian pita bread)
[You can get Bosnian somun on Mill Road in Cambridge, in the frozen food section. Any pita bread will do as a substitute.].
8. Milk (if needed)
Method
The cooking process is very simple!
Add each of the ingredients, one by one as stated, and slowly simmer them on low heat. Do not stir too much! If it seems too thick and chunky, add a bit of milk or some more sour
cream. Melt slowly and do not allow it to boil. Use you somun (or pita bread) to dip into the umak.
Enjoy!
About the baker
Dr Safet HadžiMuhamedović is Research Associate in Inter-Faith Relations at the Cambridge Interfaith Programme (CIP). Their favourite food-related quote is: ‘Things – even people – have a way of leaking into each other […] like flavours when you cook’. (Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children)
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