Eid treats from around the world

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Early Muslims in Medina, Saudi Arabia, probably established the habit of eating sweets on Eid al-Fitr by using readily available cooking materials like dates and honey for their celebrations. After a month of fasting, the sugar content of these foods provides a huge energy boost. The numerous Eid al-Fitr dishes we have today are the consequence of the different ingredients and cooking techniques that each culture used as Islam spread to more areas of the world.

Here are some of the delicious treats that various Muslim cultures prepare to celebrate Eid al-Fitr during this auspicious time of year.

Baklava
 The dish still remains a big part of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Many families opt for store-bought baklava nowadays; but some families, particularly those with Turkic and Balkan origins, make a big tray of baklava from scratch for Eid al-Fitr, passing down family recipes generation to generation.


Sweet Samosas
In Morocco, these are known as briouat, whereas in the Arabian Gulf, the name sambusa hilwa is more common. In each version, phyllo dough is shaped into triangular pockets and then stuffed with a sweet filling. Fruits such as pears and apples or syrup-soaked nuts are popular stuffings. Alternatively, phyllo might be rolled into a cigar shape (instead of a triangle) and stuffed with a sweet cream, similar to a cannoli.

Kanafeh
A favorite at Middle Eastern restaurants, this dessert is a top pick for Eid al-Fitr in Levant cultures. For this dessert, shredded phyllo dough is paired with a white cheese, such as Nabulsi or Akkawi cheese. It’s served with a drizzle of fragrant sugar syrup, usually as a rectangular slab of cake.


Vermicelli
Saviya is a popular dessert with South Asian Muslims on Eid al-Fitr. It is made by stir frying vermicelli, ghee, sugar, and aromatic spices such as cardamom. Many families enjoy saviya right after Eid prayer for brunch or breakfast. A similar counterpart, sheer khurma, is equally popular. It also uses vermicelli as a primary ingredient, but the vermicelli is cooked in a milk base (often overnight). The dessert is akin to a sweet noodle soup; based on personal preference, some serve it cold and others serve it hot.

Stuffed Dates
Dates are delicious on their own, but for Eid al-Fitr, many people prefer to dress them up with stuffings. Common stuffings include whole nuts, nut butters, cream cheese and sweet pastes made from nuts, honey, and rose water.


Filled Cookies
Traditional eid biscuits are very popular in Egyptian and Sudanese cultures especially for eid al  fitr
In Egypt, kahk — a crumbly butter cookie stuffed with a date paste ball and sprinkled with icing sugar — is a family favorite for Eid al-Fitr. In other countries, such as Palestine, a date stuffed cookie called maamoul takes precedence on the Eid table. Yet still in Indonesia, cookies stuffed with pineapple jam are the popular choice for Eid.

Butter Cookies
Vanilla, chocolate, lemon, cardamom, and almond are just a sampling of butter cookie flavors enjoyed on Eid al-Fitr. Names and offerings differ from region to region. For example, you might find ghraybeh in the Middle East, naan khatai in South Asia, or crescent-shaped sable cookies in North Africa.


Kuih Lapis
In Southeast Asia, kuih lapis, or kue lapis, is a steamed cake so labor-intensive it’s saved just for special occasions like Eid al-Fitr (natively called Hari Raya or Lebaron). Made of rice flour, sago, coconut milk, eggs and sugar, it’s a colorful cake with a jelly-like texture, similar to custard. Lapis is just one type of kuih (traditional snack) enjoyed for Eid; many more kuih varieties exist.

Sweet Rice
In Iran, rice is cooked with saffron and sugar to make a dessert called shole zard. Dried fruits and dates added to the rice provide an extra touch of sweetness for the religious holiday.
In Ghana, it is marked with delicacies like assorted  rice dishes with meat , Tuozafi, and Fufu amongst others.


Source: Joycelyn Marigold -Africa Home Buildng News