A Saudi Chef Who Serves Hajj Pilgrims Has Shared Her Experiences
Saudi Chef, Inas Khadri, has spoken about her experience cooking for 2,000 pilgrims a day for Hajj season.
She talked about the challenges of getting into the field
Chef Inas mentioned that after graduating from a renowned institute, she told her father that she wanted to work as a chef. He was hesitant about taking on a job in a career not considered very ‘respectable’.
فيديو | سيدة سعودية تطبخ في الحج لـ 2000 شخص يوميا #طباخة_الحج #بسلام_آمنين #الإخبارية2 pic.twitter.com/AkKdn1yruY
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Inas talked about the schedule of chefs during the Hajj season, starting from Mina, then Arafat, then Muzdalifah, and returning to Mina again. She said, “In Mina, mistakes are not allowed because the meal’s shelf life, from the moment it leaves here until it reaches the client and they consume it, is only four hours. We are in a race against time because, after four hours, the meal becomes unfit for consumption.”
She continued and said that one of the things they give up during the Hajj season is sleep because all the kitchens are designed to serve meals for 2,000 pilgrims.
The utmost care is taken to ensure food is safe and of high quality
The chef showcased the food preparation room and the central refrigeration room where all the food supplies are stored for two days. On the day of Arafat, the Mina team continues their work by receiving the food supplies that will suffice for the remaining days of Hajj.
Chef Inas said that for the past 14 years, she hasn’t celebrated Eid with her family, and she said, “My Eid is being present with the pilgrims.”
