Kahk – Then and Now
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Kahk is a heavy, sweet pastry made of flour, dairy/vegetable ghee (or butter or vegetable oil), eggs, milk and loads of sugar. Traditional Egyptian kahk is a plain disc-shaped tartlet covered with powdered sugar, but there are also other types of kahk stuffed with a number of different saccharine fillings.
Kahk fillings may include pistachios, walnuts, almonds or Turkish delight (malban.) Kahk with pit-less puréed dates (or ‘agwa) is more common in the Arab Gulf, where the pastry — known as maamoul — is said to have originated; another kind, ‘agamiya, is filled with honey and sesame seeds. There is even a variety of kahk filled and/or covered with chocolate.
In terms of its nutritional value and calories, kahk is low on the former and loaded with the latter. While it is a relatively good source of carbohydrates and protein, kahk is a much better source of saturated fats and sugars. Each teaspoon of dairy ghee contains an average of eight milligrams of cholesterol.
Kahk is said to have originated in Ancient Egypt during the 18th Dynasty (1540 BC – 1307 BC). The precursors of modern-day kahk were made of honey and flour, pressed into discs, decorated with the imprint of the sun’s rays, and then baked. Numerous different forms of this Ancient Egyptian pastry adorn the inner walls of Kheime Ra’s tomb in Thebes, near the modern city of Luxor.
The iconic pasty is said to have been re-introduced in its contemporary form during Egypt’s Toulounid period in the 9th century. The association between kahk and the Eid el-Fitr holiday is attributable to Fatimid Caliph Al-Muezz li-Dein Illah, who commemorated the end of the fasting month by distributing kahk among his subjects in the newly founded City of Cairo in 969 AD.
In the millennium since, kahk has been traditionally made at home by mothers and wives to mark the first day of eid.
Excerpted from an article by Jano Charbel for Almasry Alyoum
Egyptian poet Fouad Haddad said: “Oh kahk, master of generosity … we will never stop making you.”
Most Egyptians prize the final days of Ramadan, when women and children of the family convene in the hall of the house to make kahk. Gathered in front of a huge container filled with brewed dough, each has a specific duty: some knead, some cut the dough into small pieces, stuffing them with dates, nuts or malban. Others press the pieces of dough into circular shapes, while others decorate the kahk with a special instrument called a moun’ash. The last step is spreading the kahk on a rectangular tray that then goes into the oven for baking.
Each of the women participating in the ritual does exactly what their mothers and grandmothers did before them. It’s an uninterrupted tradition that goes back to Pharaonic times. Making kahk is one of Egypt’s most ancient traditions. The process today differs little from the past.
People are depicted making kahk on the walls of Pharaonic temples in ancient Thebes and Memphis. Drawings of the snack have even been found engraved on the walls of 18th dynasty tombs. These drawings show how honey is mixed with butter on fire, after which flour is added, turning the substance into an easily-molded dough. These pieces are then put on slate sheets and put in the oven; others are fried in oil and butter.
Ancient Egyptians would mold kahk into different ornamental and geometrical forms or pressed into animal or flower shapes. Kahk used to be stuffed with dates and figs, often decorated with dried fruits such as raisins or buckthorn.
Ancient Egyptians also used to make larger kahk-like pies, locally known as shurik, before visiting tombs during religious feasts. These pies also served as amulets, said to boast magical powers according to ancient belief.
Excerpted from an article by By Essam Fawzi for Almasry Alyoum
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