I have lived with them, through them, and for them for nearly eighty years. They have accompanied me throughout my life, rarely leaving my side in the thirty thousand days and nights that have passed in my life. These three were often my solace, whether at home or traveling .
They are the first things I think of, after hunger, after returning from a trip or a spa, after recovering from an illness, or immediately after finishing a diet, or in moments of joy or sorrow. I have lived with sweets, bread, and rice all my life. Whenever I approach a buffet table, irrespective of whether I am hungry or full, my eyes are drawn inexorably to plates of rice in all its varieties, and to bread in its many forms. I notice nothing else but containers of sweets and the incredible artistry of their preparation. They look so tempting that if I were to see them before a hot meal of rice or bread, I would be compelled to start with them as soon as I finish my main course.
A few days ago, I bid a farewell to this cherished trio of rice, bread, and sweets. It is said that Ali Lotfy Mahmoud, better known as Ali Lotfy (1935-2018), who served as Egypt’s Prime Minister from September 1985 to November 1986, suddenly decided to impose a significant price increase on nuts, particularly those used in preparing the traditional Ramadan dish known as Yameesh, which is considered essential for the Ramadan fast.
In Egyptian dialect, Yameesh refers to a mix of dried fruits and nuts commonly served during Ramadan, such as dates, dried apricots, raisins, copra, and apricot paste (Qamar al-Din), along with hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, and walnuts, which are also used in preparing various Ramadan drinks that are an essential part of Egyptian Ramadan tables.
Ali Lotfy’s decision came at the worst possible moment, just as confectioners were preparing to import nuts. Merchants faced inevitable losses. How could Ramadan in Egypt be complete without sweets that rely on nuts? Confectioners and nut suppliers were left with no choice but to accept the hefty price increase on imported ingredients.
Some decided to respond to the Prime Minister in their own way. They agreed to offer two large dishes of the popular dessert “Umm Ali” on their menus. The first dish, as usual, contained nuts and was priced at 100 Egyptian pounds. The second, much cheaper dish, included only bread, milk, and butter, without any nuts, flavorings, or other additions, and was humorously named “Umm Ali... Lotfy”.
By Ahmad alsarraf email: [email protected]
