kalim's diet is very particular, and while it develops and changes through the years, mostly during his time at night raven college and afterwards ( especially as he grows older and in any verses where he's removed from the asim estate, the primary source of his food anxiety ), he has specific preferences that have been nourished by the cultures his parents were born into, his fears surrounding poisoning attempts and just generally food from tharwa.
what dictates kalim's dietary habits is, first and foremost, his deeply rooted trauma from attempts on his life. he can, and has, disavowed entire meals because of this, including those that were in fact consumed by others–such as when jamil ate the poisoned curry, or when kalim's own brother, tayyib, died after eating a laced qatayef. both of these incidents are some of the many that shaped kalim's relationship with food. presently, the smell of them alone is enough to make him deeply nauseous. another way these concerns manifest is in how he consumes meals. to the casual observer, it seems like kalim is a fastidious eater : he takes small portions, with food rarely touching unless it's part of the meal itself. he eats in measured, thorough bites, inquires about the ingredients used, largely disavows red meat.
while he shows enthusiasm for trying new things and undoubtedly has some he considers his favorites, his overall relationship with food and eating is chorelike. kalim often has to be reminded to eat. his concerns about the food itself, combined with his tendency to get distracted by whatever project he's working on, mean he can put aside eating for hours, and sometimes even the entire day. however, kalim will never leave anything behind on a plate, as it's considered poor manners to do so in tharwa—more specifically, it's seen as saying that the food wasn't up to par.
during his childhood, it was easier for him to make these quirks less visible. kalim was separated and isolated from his siblings from a young age and, apart from a few important holidays, when his presence with the entire family was required, he ate alone most of the time. almost paradoxically, this also contributed to another one of kalim's anxieties surrounding food : due to the countless of poisoning attempts, kalim dislikes eating alone, and will even go as far as to postpone eating if no one around him wants to at the moment, regardless of when was the last time he ate. because of this, he's been known to encourage guards and other staff of the asim estate to join him for a meal, if no one else is available.
he's also very particular in regards to whose food he eats. kalim used to wholeheartedly trust everything jamil cooked, but after his overblot, kalim slowly transitioned away from eating jamil's food—in part because of his determination to give jamil more freedom and allow himself to become a more autonomous person. though, it was also because kalim was never able to fully trust jamil again, much less his cooking. one of kalim's ticks when it comes to meals is, thus, the fact that he will sometimes wait for others to start eating before he does, too. not his most noble or selfless moments, he knows, but he feels like he's allowed them.
all of this has led to kalim having a unique talent for identifying poisons. he's capable of determining if a meal has been tampered with from sight, and even scent alone, in some cases. in worst case scenarios, kalim has gone as far as having the poisoned item in his mouth, but has yet to bite down, when he notices what's happened. he likes to “joke” that it's a miracle his taste buds haven't burnt off yet.
staples of tharwan food, and that of other nations in the region, are rice, lamb and mutton, chicken, bread, and both leafy and root vegetables. eggplant, okra and squash are also important ingredients in the country's cuisine. in the capital, where kalim was born, fish is a customary and popular element in many dishes. beef is also a popular meat of choice, but rarely had a presence in the asim estate proper ( out of respect for two of abbas al-asim's wives, who don't consume it ).
kalim himself isn't too fond of meat - based dishes in general, preferring things like dolma, or vegan versions of foods like pilaf, kubbat halab or biryani; his diet lies somewhere between pescetarian and semi-vegetarian, if he's in the mood for chicken. despite his general attitude about food, kalim does have meals he considers his favorites. he especially enjoys stews and soups like fasoulia, qeema, and pomegranate soup,
a well - known fact about kalim is that he has a big enough sweet - tooth that a surefire way to get him to eat is by promising to give him something sugary : knafeh, gulab jamun, basbousa, baklava, jalebi, aamras. the sweeter the better.
kalim is also a big fan of fruits, which usually end up being his primary food source throughout the day, in lieu of an actual meal. his favorites are any and all citrus fruits, melons, apricots, peaches, and pomegranate. if one ever catches kalim eating something, it's most likely fruit slices he brought along for when he got hungry.
while most people think he also likes coconuts, kalim prefers them as candies or in desserts rather than eating them as they are. he states that his favorite food is coconut water, which is also influenced by the past poisoning attempts; it was something he was given while hospitalized, as coconut water is refreshing, yet gentle and nourishing, and rich in enzymes, the perfect drink for someone in such a delicate state. he even chooses it over regular water.
drinks aren't exempt from kalim's concerns and paranoia of being tampered with either, but he allows himself more diversity when it comes to them. kalim drinks tea every day ( he swears by black tea, but also enjoys cardamom, mint, loomi and rose ) and enjoys coffee after dinner. he prefers natural fruit juice instead of processed and artificial ones, especially pomegranate and orange juice, and lemonade.
