Kahk

Kahk is an Arabian dessert eaten at Eid-ul-Fitr that reminds me of cookies that my grandmother used to make us at Christmas-time in Canada: buttered walnut-balls. The walnut balls are more round (Kahk is flattened a bit), they were also much more "solid" and dry (Kahk on the other hand is very light and melts in your mouth). Apart from that they are just about the same, although most Kahk don't have walnuts in them (though you can find some with crushed nuts in the center, or with dates or other jellies).

Kahk ready to go home!

Rows upon rows of deeeeeelicious Kahk

You can try to make them yourselves by following this Kahk recipe from Al Ahram.

Desserts with Eshta and Dates

The sweetest combination of desserts - Eshta and Dates together. Yum.
Often, as in the picture below, also combined with vanilla ice cream, pistachios/slivered almonds, some cake or creamy rice pudding. The dates often make me feel less guilty about the calories for some reason. Mind you, I've been told that the Eshta - in small doses - is actually very healthy also, full of Vitamin A, and of course, calcium.

Dates

Dates are eaten all year in Egypt, however during Ramadan they take on special significance as they are used to break one's fast. Muslims believe that dates have special health benefits, this stems from the Quran. In one of the "Chapters" (Suras) of the Quran called Maryam (the Virgin Mary), there is a description of Mary experiencing the pangs of giving birth to Jesus. A voice calls out to her, "Do not grieve! Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm towards you and fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes…" (Qur'an, 19:23-26)

The health benefits of eating dates while pregnant have been proposed in other places as well, however the benefits of eating dates extend beyond pregnant women, reputed as a good way to lose weight, a laxative, good for the nervous system and fighting melancholy and stress, good for lowering cholesterol, a great source of dietary fibers and antioxidants, rich in iron, potassium and minerals like calcium, copper and magnesium, chock full of vitamins, and fabulously delicious to boot. (They make for really healthy ingredients in cookies and desserts, avoiding excessive use of sugars in cooking)

The people who stand at the side of the road to help people break their fast during Ramadan

In Egypt during Ramadan, right as the sun is about to set, you will find lots of helpful souls trying to collect their good deed points (hassanat in Arabic) by standing outside and offering bottles of cold water and dates to the unfortunate people who find themselves stuck on the roadways in traffic, or late for arriving at their final destination of food with family and friends. This considerate act is but one example of the many kind acts you find in Egypt on a frequent basis.

Blurry shot - but this is table ready with water to distribute

Ramadan Delights

Include dates, figs, apricots, nuts, tamarind drink, carob drink, coconut, prunes, etc. etc. See also Ramadan Goodie Bags and Khoshev and Yummy Drinks

Ramadan Goodie Bags

Often, people will give bags of food as donations or gifts during the month of Ramadan, to friends, family, employees, co-workers, the butcher and the baker and those we interact with on a daily basis, and most importantly giving charity to the poor.

Bags range from exquisite gift baskets to simple plastic bags filled with essential foodstuffs, typically a bottle of oil, rice, sugar, pasta, tomato paste, tea, and the ramadan delights dates, raisins, coconut, etc.

Khoshev

This is one of my favorite fabulous things about Ramadan. Khoshev is the first thing you eat after you break your fast at sunset. It can be made in a number of ways, but the basic recipe is dates, with prunes, apricots, raisins, soaked in either water or milk. You prepare this first thing in the morning, so by the time you break your fast, the water/milk has taken on all the sweetness of the dates and raisins, etc. and tastes fabulously delicious.