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Iranian central kitchen providing food for pilgrims

Wednesday, 06 July 2022 11:21 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 07 July 2022 12:49 AM ]

Mahdi Abbasian

Press TV, Mecca

Twenty years ago, Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization decided to provide food to the pilgrims of Saudi Arabia through centralized kitchens in Mecca and Medina, with the aim of ensuring health in the nutrition of pilgrims. Since then, the level of service in Iran's rented kitchens has been improved every year.

I visited the Al-Afandi kitchen in Mecca which is dedicated to preparing food for Iranian Hajj pilgrims. AL Afandi kitchen uses 50 tons of high-quality ingredients every day to cook over 120,000 meals. It has the capacity to cook 220,000 meals daily. The kitchen is fully equipped and automated. A team of experts in nutrition and environment hygiene constantly observe and check the cooked food to make sure it's healthy.

110 staff members of the kitchen, who are chosen through a series of tests, work around the clock to prepare high quality food for pilgrims. But the energy emanating from the spiritual goal of serving the pilgrims is the main drive for this exhausting work.

The kitchen prepares three Iranian meals everyday including different stews and kebabs, rice, soups and hot breakfast. I also asked pilgrims about the quality of the services they have so far received. This food is the result of hours of working tirelessly to provide the best services for Hajj pilgrims.

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