The love of food and the importance of both the consumption and the abstinence of it is central to the holy month of Ramadan and the breaking of the fast know as Eid al-Fitr. For award winning British Bangladeshi chef Aktar Islam Eid it has always been a very special occasion: "It was when I'd get to see family and friends and, most of all I could eat myself silly, gorging on amazing Asian food."
Editor's note: Aktar Islam is one of Britain's premier chefs, specializing in South Asian cuisine. Born and bred in Birmingham, Islam's exposure to British cuisine and the strong influence from his Bangladeshi heritage have shaped his approach and unique style. He has won several awards including the BBC Great British Menu, and his restaurant Lasan won the Gordon Ramsey's Best Local Restaurant award.
(CNN) -- Eid in the Islam household was always a very special occasion for me; it was when I'd get to see family and friends and, most of all, I could eat myself silly, gorging on amazing Asian food!
What sticks in the memory most was the build-up; this would begin several days prior to Eid -- mum would be busy preparing the sauces and marinades which were invariably rich, vibrant reds and greens. The aromas emanating from the kitchen were so intense that our mouths watered in anticipation as our bellies simultaneously whined "are we there yet?"
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The day went something like this: We'd be up extremely early and the food fest would begin with Shir Khurma for breakfast. This is a lovely vermicelli and milk pudding, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and served with an Indian rusk.
Morning cravings sated, we'd then make our way to the Mosque for prayer until around 11am. As we were leaving the mosque, I remember feeling excited at the prospect of going home for a huge selection of tasty deep-fried goodies, which usually consisted of samosas (lamb and potato and chicken and pea), pakoras and lentil and ginger cakes, all served with relishes and tomato ketchup.
At this point, people would be gathered at the house and we'd make visits to friends' and relatives' houses, where we'd be treated to sweet tea and samosas.
Around 1pm we'd get back to a house full of people and start tucking into a delicious lunch of mutton yakhni pulao, a classic rice dish from Lucknow; this would be accompanied by lamb and chicken kormas -- very lightly spiced with aromatic milk sauces. There'd always be a boiled egg added too.
In addition, there would be spiced roast chicken and spicy kebabs. Dessert always tended to be coconut samosas and sweet semolina. Eid is a particularly ostentatious event and, I can remember mum putting silver leaf on the rice and puddings as decoration.
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I would have to say that Biryanis/pulaos, samosas, kebabs and Indian sweets and puddings best showcase the culinary traditions around Eid. If I were cooking to impress I would stick to these traditional, simple dishes.
I say simple, but aesthetics aside, they're anything but; this food's actually very intricate as the flavors have to be subtle, which is quite difficult to pull off, especially in the case of a pulao. In my opinion, if you can make a perfect pulao the culinary aspect of Eid will be a joyous time and a huge success, as all the other dishes are complementary to it.
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A typical Eid morning in the Islams' household would start with a plate of Shir Khurma for breakfast. This is a vermicelli and milk pudding, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and served with an Indian rusk. Vermicelli noodles are a popular ingredient in a multitude of dishes and sweets eaten during Ramadan and Eid across the world. This photo shows an Indian worker drying the fine noodles in preparation for Eid.
After the sweet noodle breakfast at home Aktar Islam and his family usually head to the mosque for prayer. Some mosques -- such as this one in Karachi, Pakistan -- will arrange big communal meals where worshippers will break the fast together.
Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, during which devout Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. Each region and country has its own delicacies that they devour such as the Roti John -- a type of omelet sandwich -- from Malaysia.
This man is preparing a Nepalese treat known as Lalmohan -- a deep-fried donut-like ball served with cold yoghurt -- in the Kashmiri Mosque in Kathmandu.
These delicious goodies about to be served to children in a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, could be a typical Iftar plate -- the meal eaten to break the fast. It consists of an array of fruits, rice cakes, donuts, tea and water.
In China ethnic Uyghur Muslims cook lamb outside the Niujie Mosque in Beijing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Thousands gather at the capital's oldest and largest mosque for morning prayer and to feast in food stalls and dance in the street.
A Palestinian baker prepares baklava -- a rich, sweet treat made of layers of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey -- in the West Bank city of Jenin.
A young man arranges bowls of food before Iftar in Pakistan's second largest city Lahore. Pakistan is the world's second most populous Muslim country; Indonesia has the highest percentage of Muslims.
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