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'Eid without Kahk' leaves an Egyptian-Utahn pining for
some home cooking
By Sarah Ali
November 11, 2005 | It was when my
dad wanted to take me out to shop for clothes, when
my relative would give me money for merely visiting
them and when Tita ("grandma" in Arabic) would
make hundred of Kahk.
It was Eid el Fitr at home.
If Ramadan is the month of self-control, then Shawal
is the month of self-indulgence. Eid el Fitr is the
three-day holiday that starts off the month of Shawal,
when Muslims around the world celebrate by feasting
on savory dishes prepared only at this time.
In Egypt one of these dishes is called Kahk, a melt-in-your-mouth
cookie covered by powdered sugar.
On Nov. 3, the Eid began and I was in Logan, jealous
and far away from my Egyptian family. No new clothes
for me, no free money, and no Kahk, my favorite part
of the Eid.
When I tried to express my sadness for missing Kahk
el Eid to my local friends, most thought I was coughing
up a hairball or trying to talking dirty. Many of the
letters in the Arabic language are beyond their realm
of thought, and hence they had no idea I was actually
saying the name of a holiday cookie.
The situation became more humorous when I showed them
the recipe I had received via email on how to make Kahk.
The first ingredient on the list was "2 cups of
Samn Balady," which at first glance they read as
"Sam Baldy." (Poor Sam Baldy didn't realize
he was part of an Egyptian recipe.) Samn Balady is roughly
translated to English as country butter or ghee.
At this point I was getting frustrated and insulted
that they were defacing one the most traditional dishes
of my Egyptian heritage. My goal was to make the cookies
and show them that despite the unusual name and interesting
ingredients, Kahk is really a tasty dish.
Egypt happens to be ideally located in an area rich
with spices, and as a result includes many of them in
the country's recipes. Utah, on the other hand, is far
from the spice trail and because of this slaps a hefty
price on of spices that I needed to make Kahk. The total
was going to be around $20 to make a batch of Kahk that
included three spices. I decided that being the poor
college student that I am, I needed to put the $6 spice
jars back on the shelf.
The Eid has been over for more than a week and I still
wish I had a few Kahk to munch on during the rest of
Shawal, but until another Christopher Columbus comes
along and finds the hidden passage to India I'll have
to settle for the $2.99 instant package of Betty Crocker
sugar cookies instead of Kahk.
MS
MS |
