Ma’amoul: A traditional cookie that ushers in Eid festivities
By Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: Like many other foods that are associated with certain celebrations, ma’amoul cookies are a staple of Eid Al-Fitr, especially among Arab Muslims. Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie stuffed with dried fruits, such as dates, or nuts, such as pistachios. In the past, women used to gather in the last few days of the holy month of Ramadan to bake ma’amoul for Eid. However, with the passage of time and people’s preoccupation with contemporary lifestyle, this ritual has faded away, since women today no longer have the time or the inclination to bake ma’amoul for Eid. They prefer buying it from sweet stores, which have flourished.
Kuwait Times asked Rachel, a sales manager at a sweets store in Ardhiya, about the different types of ma’amoul and their average prices. Rachel said ma’amoul comes with different types of filling, but the most popular are those with dates, pistachios and walnuts, according to people’s requests and preference. She said ma’amoul come in different shapes and sizes, some are round in shape, some are cone shaped, while others are oval shaped, and so on.
Ma’amoul is a sweet that is always available at the store; however, demand for ma’amoul rises drastically during religious occasions such as Ramadan and Eid. Some customers reserve ma’amoul trays a day or two before Eid to secure fresh and good quality ma’amoul for serving their guests. Prices depend on several factors; for instance, a 1-kg tray retails for approximately KD 10. Prices might vary slightly from one store to another, but this is the average price of ma’amoul on Eid days.
In order to get ma’amoul of the best quality, Rachel advised choosing a sweetshop that is specialized in baking ma’amoul and consuming it within one or two days. Despite the availability of many other types of sweets and foods, having a tray of ma’amoul at the table has become a traditional way of celebrating Eid.
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