Charity foundations called imarethanes were built by the rich to serve food to the poor. The food was cooked in big cauldrons and served in large bowls called imarets. For the people who were not able to come to imaret, food was sent in lunch boxes, mess-kits, or perhaps some other vessel.
In general the people consumed flat bread baked on a convex metal plate over an open fire, or in tandoor ovens. They would begin eating with the right hand, calling the name of God, and finish with a prayer of thanksgiving. On a textile laid out on the floor a tray would be placed on a wooden stand. A family would eat with wooden spoons sitting around the tray.