Refugee Syrian chef turns nocturnal in Ramadan
Channel: Important video
Date: 2018-06-07

The streets of Washington are dark and empty when Majed Abdalraheem first arrives at Union Kitchen, a shared commercial cooking space in a warehouse on the city's northeast side. By 4 a.m., he has already made headway on preparing a meal for 150 people.

Just before dawn, the 29-year old pauses to gulp down water and say a brief prayer under his breath before getting back to mixing a large bowl of chopped chicken with spices for a popular Syrian staple dish called shawarma.

During Ramadan, the holy month that began on May 16 and ends on June 14 when devout Muslims abstain from all food and drink between dawn and sunset, Abdalraheem works a customized nocturnal schedule. The Syrian refugee, who cooks for a meal delivery service called Foodhini, starts his working day around 2 a.m. That way he doesn't have to spend his days over a hot stove without being able to drink water.