Excitement borders on the manic as preparations for Eid Al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) begin, writes Amany Abdel-Moneim, with the frenzied pace of the last few days of Ramadan. Already families are gathering to bake that time of year's most defining delicacy: the ubiquitous kahk, a tradition that reportedly dates back to the Pharaohs by way of the Tulunids and the later Ikhshidi caliphs, reaching its zenith in the Fatimid Caliph Al-Aziz's reign. The head of state, having allocated enormous sums to its production, is said to have personally distributed kahk among the people. Egyptians have maintained the tradition so well that the beautifully round, melt-in-the-mouth cookies, covered with powdered sugar and supplemented by such variations as ghurayiba and sundry homegrown biscuits, are virtually taking over the city. Of course, they are commercially produced -- by individual women as well as establishments. But what with the centrality of the family for Egyptians , it seems a pity that, now that most women work, few can afford the time and effort it takes to produce kahk within the household. Perhaps to compensate, a kahk purchase is made with painstaking scrutiny, the pros and cons of each brand weighed and reweighed before a decision is reached. Those who, in a bid to save money and achieve perfection, persist in home baking against all odds, will be seen buying vast amounts of flour, ghee, butter, sugar, various fillings and, most importantly, rihet (essence of) kahk, that indispensable component, as well as the small metal contraption that gives the surface its authentic, groovy appearance. The baking process is an extended family orgy as much about socialising as making kahk, and in the countryside, especially, the ritual is preserved: the oldest woman sits before a brick oven to bake enough kahk for the whole village; annually, by rotation, a family will open its house for the two-day task, and everyone joins in the festivities, especially the children. This Eid promises to be more colourful than ever, with new, vibrantly coloured cookies boasting unprecedented flavours as well as traditional date-and-nut fillings. Five-star hotel chefs have created toffee coloured coffee kahk, for example, rose coloured berry kahk and lime coloured pistachio kahk...
