CAIRO – Mixing the flour and water together to make a consistent mixture, Amm Ahmed is happy to work for long hours, putting his delicious, mouthwatering treats in a special machine to be baked. "I don't care about the hot weather or the long hours I work, because I love my profession," says Amm Ahmed, a konafa maker and seller. "We make konafa throughout the year, but the demand always increases in the holy fasting month of Ramadan.” Konafa and katayef, which date all the way back to the Fatimid period, have an interesting history. The most popular story about konafa is that the Caliph Mo'awia ibn Aby Sufyan, who loved eating it, complained to his doctor that he felt hungry while fasting. So his doctor advised him to eat konafa for sohour. In Syria and Lebanon it is, therefore, known as ‘The Konafa of Mo'awia'. Most of the people working in this profession know little about its history, but Amm Ahmed is an exception. It is also said that konafa is of Egyptian origin. The Egyptian variety contains nuts and it was especially made for Moez Ledin Allah el-Fatemy, when the residents of Fatimid Cairo welcomed him for Ramadan. "There are also many stories about katayef. It dates back to the Abbasid period and the late Umayyad period; it is called katayef because of its velvety feel," Amm Ahmed says proudly. According to other traditions, katayef dates back to the Fatimid era, when confectioners competed to make the most delicious desserts. They, therefore, stuffed katayef with nuts and put it in a large bowl, beautiful decorated, ready for guests, who thought it was wonderful. Most people like eating katayef and konafa not only because it is delicious, but also because it is nutritious. "Katayef helps digest the iftar meal, while konafa helps you endure the fast when you have it for sohour," Amm Ahmed explains. "That's why my customers form long queues in Ramadan, waiting for my delicacies. It makes me very happy, as I feel I'm doing something important.”
