Ramadan is coming soon. When we talk about the fasting month, it is inevitably associated with Ramadan bazaars and cases of 'unusual' foods that lack deliciousness but come with a hefty price tag.
Year after year, concerns regarding food in Ramadan bazaars persisted and recurred. During this season, a wave of opportunistic traders surfaced, aiming to earn extra income for a month.
If you learn that a friend, neighbour, or relative, whose culinary abilities you knew were not proficient but they have intentions to venture into the Ramadan bazaar business, please advise them against it.
It is disheartening for those who were fasting to feel deceived. Deceptive practices were not exclusive during Ramadan as existing food vendors have been known to 'cheat' their customers.
Merak Jalanan recently learnt about a customer who fell victim to a doughnut vendor's deceitful tactics.
It's truly disheartening to crave for a delicious doughnut only to discover it was just a burger bun cleverly being disguised.
While creativity and innovation were praiseworthy, they should not deceive customers. Let's steer clear of misleading buyers, otherwise, the earned income may be devoid of blessings.
A gentle reminder from Merak Jalanan to all food vendors, particularly those participating in Ramadan bazaars: If cooking is not your strong suit and you are considering reheating dishes repeatedly, selling them at inflated prices, using tap water for sweet cordial beverages, offering stale food, making curry puffs with 'imaginary fillings' or selling various foods with questionable ingredients like melted cheese, it is advisable to reconsider doing the business.