No ‘meethi Eid’ without mithai

Halwas, Arabic sweets, cakes are high in demand on chaand raat

KARACHI:

Eidul Fitr is also called ‘meethi Eid’. This is the reason Eidul Fitr is incomplete without sweets, including kheer, sheer khurma, halwa, cakes, and mithai. The sale of sweets shoots up on chaand raat as people rush to bakers and confectioners to buy cakes and mithai.

In keeping with their tradition, this year too bakers and confectioners have introduced an array of colourful flavours of sweets and cakes, especially milk items, such as rass malai, dudh dulari, rabri, kulfi, and different flavours of ice cream.

However, different types of halwas are particularly popular among people despite the fact that they are expensive of all sweets. Among the halwas, habshi halwa topped with walnuts, khajoor halwa, injeer halwa, pistapak, habshi crunch halwa, sohan halwa, and mixed halwa are in high demand. Halwa is priced between Rs1,200 and Rs1,600 per kg while cashew halwa is available at Rs1,800 per kg.

Traditional mithai is selling at Rs900 per kg in small shops and up to Rs1,200 per kg in big bakeries and confectionary shops. The demand for Arabic sweets, especially Baklava, has also been increasing over the past few years. Baklava has a huge variety, such as pistachio baklava, chocolate baklava, coconut baklava, walnut baklava, and peanut baklava. Baklava is prepared in desi ghee and an assortment of exotic nuts. Baklava is available at Rs1,200 to 1,500 per kg.

Among the traditional mithai, gulab jamun and chum-chum are most popular as they are relished by people of all ages. There goes a saying that Eid is incomplete without white chum-chum and soft, warm and syrupy gulab jamuns. Miso pak, laddo and balu shahi, qalaqand, and barfi are also best sellers on Eid.

The trend of gifting cakes to loved ones on Eid has also been gaining popularity in recent years. Confectionary shops prepare a huge variety of cakes for chaand raat. Children and teens mostly like different chocolate cakes while pineapple and ice cream cakes are considered evergreen. This year, the price of cake has gone up to Rs200 per pound. Popular bakeries have increased the price of cake up to Rs300 per pound.

According to a survey conducted by The Express Tribune, the sale of mithai has been consistently decreasing, while cakes are taking its place. The reason being cakes are low in calories as compared to mithai. Children's Eid is incomplete without cake and they relish it whenever they find a cake. This year, chocolate-rich cakes, including Chocolate Black Forest, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Nutella are popular. Other popular varieties include Swiss roll, red velvet and milky chocolate cakes.

The demand for traditional cakes also remains high on Eid. They include Hyderabadi coffee and chocolate cake, dry fruit cake, and chocolate marble cake. They are being sold at Rs700 to Rs800 per pound. The cakes demand on Eid also offers an opportunity to housewives to make some extra money. Many women bake and deliver cakes from their homes. They accept orders for Eid cakes in the last week of Ramazan and deliveries continue during the three days of Eid.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2023.