Chebab pancakes.
Credit: Raul Dias
“You may call it the original inspiration behind the protein bar,” says our guide, Fatima, with a wide smile and a twinkle in her eyes. She’s talking about batheeth, a traditional Emirati sweet that my posse of friends and I are attempting to make. We do this by combining mashed, deseeded dates, a spoonful of roasted grade-two whole wheat flour, and a generous splash of turmeric — saffron — and fenugreek seed-infused melted ghee. We then roll the sticky mass into tiny balls, dust them with more roasted flour, and garnish them with slivers of pistachio nuts.
“Back when Sharjah was one of the world’s leading pearl producers, pearl divers harvesting these aquatic gems would carry brass containers of batheeth on their dive excursions to fuel their bodies,” she explains. And who better than Fatima — who is also a professional marathoner — to convince us of the strength-giving abilities of this energising snack?
Souk of surprises
Our batheeth-making cookery class is being held in a historical enclave called the Heart of Sharjah, an ancient marketplace — also known as a souk — in the middle of Sharjah. It has been painstakingly restored to its former glory, though modern comforts like air conditioning keep off the searing heat of the sun blazing outside.
This souk is also where we try something called Omani halwa at a traditional sweet shop that doubles as a mini halwa factory. Given that Sharjah shares borders with the Sultanate of Oman, it’s no surprise to see Omani influences in the sweet repertoire of this Emirate — one of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates.
Their dark maroon, fragrant halwa is a mixture of wheat flour, sugar, ghee, and rose or orange blossom water, spiced with a trio of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. It is simmered in huge vats heated by firewood, which imparts a smoky undertone to the rich halwa, always served alongside Emirati coffee, known as gahwa. A central part of UAE hospitality and culture, this coffee is made from lightly roasted Arabic coffee beans, often infused with aromatic spices like cardamom, saffron, and sometimes cloves, giving it a unique and fragrant flavour. The coffee is brewed in a special pot called a dallah and served in a small, handleless cup called a finjan.
Having a ball!
Over the next four days of my stay in Sharjah, I am introduced to a phalanx of other Emirati sweets, both traditional and borrowed. One such sweet — luqaimat —reminds me of the fennel seed-flavoured, North Indian wheat-flour-based, deep-fried sweet balls called gul-gule, as well as Mumbai’s Christian East Indian community’s fuggias, made from flour and coconut milk. Luqaimat, doused in either honey or date syrup, is made from a simple mixture of flour, sugar, and yeast. However, the addition of saffron and cardamom gives it a rich flavour profile, distinctive of Emirati cuisine. They are often sprinkled with sesame seeds for an added crunch.
Another popular Emirati sweet treat is kunafa, as evident from the recent viral Instagram kunafa chocolate trend that emerged from the UAE. In its traditional form, this rich and indulgent dessert is made from shredded phyllo dough soaked in fragrant syrup. I learn that the filling can vary from sweetened cream to cheese or semolina, with the Emirati version typically using a lighter syrup made from rose or orange blossom water.
Savoury meets sweet
Ever the breakfast enthusiast, I soon come across several Emirati dishes that balance both sweet and savoury flavours. Take, for example, balaleet. This breakfast dish consists of vermicelli noodles flavoured with rose water and saffron and is often topped with a fried egg. The noodles are sweetened with sugar and cardamom, creating a fragrant, delicate dish. The combination of sweet noodles with a savoury fried egg strikes a perfect balance, making for a hearty yet sweet start to the day.
I am equally impressed with the taste and texture of an Emirati porridge called assidat al boubar, which I tried at a desert camp in Mleiha, the archaeological stronghold in Eastern Sharjah. This unique breakfast treat is an unexpectedly delicious combination of pumpkin purée, flour, and sugar — a seemingly odd mix that results in great gastronomic success.
For my very last breakfast at my hotel in the Wadi Shie Khorfakkan region along Sharjah’s meandering east coast, my Manipuri server recommends that I end my Emirati sweet journey on a high note. She suggests I eschew my previously ordered eggs Benedict for something called chebab.
This traditional Emirati pancake is light, fluffy, and slightly sweet, made from a simple batter of flour, yeast, sugar, and cardamom. It is often infused with saffron or rose water for added fragrance. The batter is poured onto a hot griddle to form small, round pancakes, and cooked until golden brown on both sides.
Chebab is typically served warm, topped with date syrup, honey, or ghee — and, of course, accompanied by endless finjans of steaming Emirati gahwa.