• Menu
  • Menu
  • Lifestyle
  • Subscribe now
    Digital subscription Print+Digital (Bundle) ePaper
  • Logout
Digital subscription
Print+Digital (Bundle)
ePaper
Trending
UAE holidays Videos Classifieds Credit Card Deals
  • Latest News
  • UAE
    • People
    • Science
    • Government
    • Education
    • Crime
    • Emergencies
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Transport
    • Weather
    • Ask the Law
  • Living In UAE
    • Visa+Immigration
    • Housing
    • Phone+Internet
    • Banking
    • Transport
    • Health
    • Education
    • Relocate
    • Reader Queries
    • Safety+Security
  • Business
    • Banking & Insurance
    • Aviation
    • Property
    • Tax News
    • Corporate Tax
    • Analysis
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Markets
    • Retail
    • Corporate News
    • Tech
    • Auto
  • Best Buys
    • Electronics
    • Home and Kitchen
    • Offers
    • Consumables
    • Lifestyle
  • Your Money
    • Saving and Investment
    • Budget Living
    • Taxation
    • Expert Columns
    • Community Tips
    • Cryptocurrency
  • Food
    • Cooking and Cuisines
    • Guide to Cooking
    • Food Show
    • Videos
  • Friday
    • Beauty
    • Wellbeing
    • Art & People
    • Home
    • Friday Partner
  • Games
    • Daily Crossword
    • Sudoku
    • Word Search
    • Spell It
  • Podcasts
  • World
    • Gulf
      • Bahrain
      • Kuwait
      • Oman
      • Qatar
      • Saudi
      • Yemen
    • Mena
    • Europe
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • Philippines
    • Australia-New Zealand
    • Corrections
  • Opinion
    • Columnists
  • Special Reports
  • Things To Do
    • Events & Concerts
    • Bars, Clubs & Pubs
    • Cafes, Restaurants & News
    • Going Out
  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Baby
    • Learning & Play
    • Child Health
    • For Mums & Dads
    • Ask Us
    • Games
  • UAE Success Stories
  • Photos
  • Sport
    • UAE Sport
    • Cricket
      • IPL
    • Motorsport
    • Football
      • Premiere League
    • Tennis
    • Golf in UAE
      • UAE
      • World
      • Photos & Videos
      • Course Reviews
      • Learn to Play
      • Gear
    • Olympics
  • Entertainment
    • Hollywood
    • Bollywood
    • South Indian
    • Music
    • OTT
  • Auto
  • Lifestyle
    • Health+Fitness
  • GN Reach
  • Tech
    • Electronics
    • Gaming
    • Media
  • Videos
    • Best Of Bollywood
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Business
    • Sport
    • Community
  • Special Features
    • Supplement eBook
  • The Kurator
    • Life
    • Luxury
    • Style
  • Gold-Forex
  • Gratuity Calculator
  • Notifications
  • Coupons
  • Gold/Forex
  • Prayer Times
  • ePaper
  • GN Store
  • About Gulf News
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Reach by GN
  • GN Focus
  • Gulf News epaper
  • Sitemap
  • Have your say
  • Printing Services
    • © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2024. All rights reserved.
    In photos: In Damascus, crispy pastry sweetens frugal Ramadan

    Photos

    Login / Sign Up
    Logout
    Sunday, November 24, 2024
    Gold / Forex

    Photos Lifestyle

    All Sections

    In photos: In Damascus, crispy pastry sweetens frugal Ramadan

    The traditional wafer-thin crispy pancake called 'naaem' is a must-have

    Published:  April 30, 2021 08:50 Last updated:  May 14, 2021 10:56 AFP
    Follow us
    1 of 9
    Damascus
    Year after year Ramadan meals become more frugal in war-torn Syria as the economy worsens, but Damascus dwellers say a traditional wafer-thin crispy pancake called "naaem" is here to stay. During the Muslim fasting month, just before sundown Damascus residents flock to buy the deep-fried sweet from street vendors who make them in bubbling cauldrons all over the sidewalks. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 9
    Damascus
    The crunchy pastry - also called "Ramadan bread" - is prepared by dropping a thin circle of dough into hot oil until it snaps like a crisp. Fished out, the sweet-smelling pancake is then drizzled with dark brown date or grape molasses. Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 9
    Damascus
    Government employee Abdallah, 51, said he rushes out to buy a naaem to share with his wife and two daughters at the end of every day. "However tough the circumstances, the naaem is a tradition we can't go without during Ramadan," he said. At around 2,500 Syrian pounds (less than a dollar), the crunchy dessert is still one of the few affordable ones, he said. Other more elaborate sweets, such as sesame-covered barazeq biscuits or syrupy baklava stuffed with pistachios, have become prohibitively expensive. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 9
    Damascus
    In one Damascus market, 49-year-old Abu Tareq called out to customers in a bellowing voice, near endless airy stacks of crispy naaem. He said they disappear fast in the run-up to iftar. "Sweets are an essential part of the Ramadan spread, and naaem are the cheapest and most delicious," he said. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 9
    Damascus
    But the wealthy too are customers, he added, because the dessert is a traditional Ramadan sweet. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 9
    Damascus
    Just a stone's throw away from Abu Tareq's shop, the scent of more freshly baked pastries wafts out of some of the sweets shops for which Damascus is famous. But each year, fewer and fewer people buy and take home trays of syrupy treats, baked in ghee and stuffed with nuts or tender date flesh. A kilo of those sweets can cost up to 50,000 Syrian pounds ($17 at the black-market exchange rate). Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 9
    Damascus
    In a country where the currency has lost 98 percent of its value since the start of the war in 2011 and millions struggle to put food on the table, that is money many simply do not have. Instead, crispy "Ramadan bread" is still a delight they can afford. "The naaem is within everyone's reach," said Abu Tareq. Image Credit: AFP
    8 of 9
    Damascus
    "Ramadan wouldn't taste the same without it." Image Credit: AFP
    9 of 9
    Damascus
    A Syrian vendor shows pancakes which make up the traditional sweet known as "al-Naem". Image Credit: AFP

    Trending

    • 31 actors in Hollywood with Arab roots

      31 actors in Hollywood with Arab roots

    • Photos: Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon

      Photos: Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon

    • Look: The winter smog that grips Delhi’s air quality

      Look: The winter smog that grips Delhi’s air quality

    • Sheikh Hamdan shares Yorkshire family holiday photos

      Sheikh Hamdan shares Yorkshire family holiday photos

    • Colm McLoughlin: Life and times in pictures

      Colm McLoughlin: Life and times in pictures

    • BYD to challenge Ferrari and Lamborghini. Here's how
      Explainer

      BYD to challenge Ferrari and Lamborghini. Here's how

    Latest In

    • World’s largest purpose-built reef launched in Dubai

      26 minutes ago

    • World reaches $300b climate finance deal at COP29

      31 minutes ago

    • Musk hails India’s fast election counting, mocks US

      1 hour ago

    • Watch: Actor Randeep on controversial roles, struggles

      1 hour ago

    • Rain in Abu Dhabi, cooler weather forecast for UAE

    Go back to top
    Network links:
    • GN Store
    • About Gulf News
    • Contact us
    • Work with us
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Advertise with us
    • Reach by GN
    • GN Focus
    • Gulf News epaper
    • Sitemap
    • Have your say
    • Printing Services
    Find us on Social
    © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2024. All rights reserved.
    This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.
    Share on Facebook
    Share on Twitter
    Share on Whatsapp
    Share on Mail
    Share on LinkedIn
    Copy link
    Follow on Whatsapp
    Follow on Google
    Follow on Telegram
    Close
    Gulf News

    Get Breaking News Alerts From Gulf News

    We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon.

    Subscribe No Thanks