Ma'amoul
 Ma'amoul, dusted with powdered sugar, a mould for making ma'amoul can be seen in the background | |
| Type | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Middle East |
| Main ingredients | Semolina, dates, pistachios or walnuts |
Ma'amoul (Arabic: معمول maʿmūl [mæʕˈmuːl]) is a filled butter cookie made with semolina flour. It is popular throughout the Arab world. The filling can be made with dried fruits like figs, dates, or nuts such as pistachios or walnuts, and occasionally almonds[1] or cheese.
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Ma'amoul is usually made during the holidays of Easter, and a few days before Eid (then stored to be served with Arab coffee and chocolate to guests who come during the holiday).[1][2][3] It is popular throughout the Arab world,[4] especially in the Arabian Peninsula.[citation needed]
They may be in the shape of balls, domed or flattened cookies. They can either be decorated by hand or be made in special wooden moulds called tabe.[5] Different moulds can denote different fillings.[6]
Variations
[edit]The cookies can be filled with nuts (commonly used nuts are pistachios, almonds or walnuts) or dried fruits, most commonly orange-scented date paste.[7]
In Turkey, maamouls are referred to as kömbe and the filling usually consists of crushed walnuts, ginger and cinnamon.[8]
Maamoul mad
[edit]Ma'amoul maad (Arabic: معمول مد) is a variation of ma'amoul where instead of shaping the dough into individial cookies, it is shaped into a 3-layer cake, with the semolina dough at the bottom layer, the filling in the second layer, and more semolina dough at the top layer.[9][10] It is popular in Lebanon, where qishta is a popular filling besides nuts and dates.[10][11][12]
A similar dessert called dahdah (Arabic: دحدح, romanized: daḥdaḥ, lit. 'plump') is made in Palestine, specifically in Hebron.[13][14][15]
Karabij
[edit]Karabij Halab (meaning "whips of Aleppo") are a stuffed semolina cookie originating from Aleppo, Syria, they are typically stuffed with pistachios, and are served with natef, a sort of marshmallow creme,[16][17] they are a variation of ma'amoul,[18] and are also popular in Lebanon.[19][20]
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Maamoul at Vienna Naschmarkt -
Lebanese karabij with cream (center)
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Etymology
[edit]
The Arabic word (معمول maʿmūl [mæʕˈmuːl]) is derived from the Arabic verb ʿamala (عمل, meaning "to do").[21][22]
Customs
[edit]While ma'amoul are consumed all-year long, they are most associated with Eid Al-Fitr or iftar as meals in celebration for the ending of Ramadan's fasting.[23] For Christian Arabs as well, ma'amoul is also part of the Easter celebrations.[5]
Ma'amoul was traditionally served by the Sephardic Jewish community of Jerusalem during Purim. It was described as the "Sephardic Hamantash".[24] Ma'amoul is also eaten by Samaritans on Sukkot.[25]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Robertson, Amy E. (11 April 2017). "Ma'amoul: An Ancient Cookie That Ushers In Easter And Eid In The Middle East". The Salt. NPR. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Ma'amoul: The Sweet Tradition of Eid". The Irresistible Magazine. Al Rifai. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ "Ma'amoul pie, or how to leave well enough alone". At the Immigrant's Table. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ Obayda, Gloria (2010). Sweets And Desserts Of The Middle East. Aribasteel. ISBN 9780955268144.
- ^ a b Helou, Anissa (2015). Sweet Middle East: Classic Recipes, from Baklava to Fig Ice Cream. Photographs by Linda Pugliese. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780594094197.
- ^ Ayoub, Sarah; Tabbouch, Sivine; Hazim, Karima Chloe (5 April 2023). "'A very sensory experience': the magic of maamoul, and how to make your own – recipe". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Goldstein, Joyce (2002). Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean. Chronicle Books. p. 169. ISBN 9780811830522.
- ^ Warren, Ozlem. "Tag: variations of ma'amoul". Ozlem's Turkish Table. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ Tamimi, Sami; Wrigley, Tara. "Ma'amoul Bars - Ma'amoul Maad". The Happy Foodie. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Date and Cinnamon Squares | Maamoul Mad Recipe | John Gregory-Smith". John Gregory Smith. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Kara, Faiyaz (20 September 2023). "Beirut Bakery and Deli, Beirut Grill and Deli deliver Levantine delights of the highest order". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ ""كلاّج رمضان".. حلوى بيروتية لم تعد للفقراء" ["Kallaj Ramadan"... A Beiruti sweet that is no longer for the poor]. Sky News Arabia. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "أبو رجائي "ملك الدحدح" في الخليل.. البيع بالبركة" [Abu Rajai, "King of Dahdah" in Hebron... Selling by the Blessings]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic). 7 November 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Ismail, Manal. "Dahdah (Palestinian Semolina Cake) Recipe - Manal Ismail". Asif. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "طريقة عمل الدحدح الفلسطيني بالسميد .. حلوى المناسبات بلمسة تراثية" [How to make Palestinian Dahdah with semolina...a sweet for special occasions with a traditional touch.]. Sada El-Balad (in Arabic). 27 January 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Davidson, Alan (2014). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. p. 440. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ Salloum, Habeeb; Salloum, Muna; Elias, Leila Salloum (25 June 2013). Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85772-330-7. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ Roden, Claudia (22 March 2018). A New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Essential Guide to Middle Eastern Cooking. As Heard on BBC Radio 4. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-4059-3778-8. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Karabij Halab And Natef Authentic Recipe | TasteAtlas". Taste Atlas. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ Dbesh, Nina. "Karabij - Lebanese Pistachio Ma'amoul with Meringue". Foodish by Anu Museum. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "معمول". Almaany.
- ^ Ali, Lillian. "The History of Ma'amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a 'Love Letter' to Our Ancestors". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Webb, Lois Sinaiko; Cardella, Lindsay Grace (2011). Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 383. ISBN 9780313383946.
- ^ Ṭalbi-Ḳadmi, Raḥel (1996). Rasheliḳah = Rashelika : niḥoaḥ ha-miṭbaḥ ha-Yerushalmi Sefaradi ha-mesorati : ḥamishah dorot shel matkonim mishpaḥtiyim mesoratiyim רשליקה = Rashelika : ניחוח המטבח הירושלמי ספרדי המסורתי : חמישה דורות של מתכונים משפחתיים מסורתיים [Rashelika: the aroma of the traditional Spanish Jerusalem kitchen: five generations of traditional family recipes]. Jerusalem: O. Raikh, Y. Ḳadmi. pp. 82–87. LCCN 98825100.
- ^ Tsedaka, Benyamim (29 October 2020). Samaritan Cookbook: A Culinary Odyssey from the Ancient Israelites to the Modern Mediterranean. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-7252-8589-7. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Farah, Madelain, Lebanese Cuisine: More than 200 Simple, Delicious, Authentic Recipes: London: 2001 ISBN 978-1-56858-179-8
- Smouha, Patricia, Middle Eastern Cooking, London 1955 ASIN: B0000CJAHX
- Roden, Claudia, A New Book of Middle Eastern Food: London 1986 ISBN 0-14-046588-X
- Roden, Claudia, The Book of Jewish Food: New York 1997, London 1999 ISBN 0-14-046609-6
- Uvezian, Sonia, Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan: 2004 ISBN 0-9709716-8-0, ISBN 978-0-9709716-8-5
- Joan Nathan, The Jewish Holiday Kitchen: New York 1988 ISBN 0-8052-0900-X
- Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook: 2004 ISBN 0-8052-4217-1, ISBN 978-0-8052-4217-1
External links
[edit]- "Maamoul – Traditional Middle Eastern Cookies". www.libanaissweets.com. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
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