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Ma'amoul

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Ma'amoul
Ma'amoul, dusted with powdered sugar, a mould for making ma'amoul can be seen in the background
TypeDessert
Region or stateMiddle East
Main ingredientsSemolina, dates, pistachios or walnuts
  • Cookbook: Ma'amoul
  •   Media: Ma'amoul

Ma'amoul (Arabic: معمول maʿmūl [mæʕˈmuːl]) is a filled butter cookie made with semolina flour. Originating in the Arab world, the filling can be made with dried fruits like figs, dates, or nuts such as pistachios or walnuts, and occasionally almonds[1] or cheese.

Ma'amoul is usually made during the holidays of Easter, and a few days before Eid (then stored to be served with Arab coffee and chocolate to guests who come during the holiday).[1][2][3] It is popular throughout the Arab world.[4]

They may be in the shape of balls, domed or flattened cookies. They can either be decorated by hand or be made in special wooden moulds called tabe.[5] Different moulds can denote different fillings.[6]

History

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Levantine maʿamoul has been linked by food historians to kleicha, a Mesopotamian date-filled cookie attested since at least the medieval period, and to kahk, an ancient Egyptian date-filled cookie.[7][8][9][10]

An 1895 Egyptian Arabic-English dictionary by author Socrates Spiro described "maʿmûl" as "a kind of Syrian cake", the name was translated as "made, manufactured".[11]

Late 19th-century proceedings by the International Congress of Orientalists described both ma'amoul and karabij with natef; ma'amoul was described as a small, round, nut-filled or plain semolina flour cookie with a decorated top, and karabij was described as long, finger-shaped, nut-filled cookie served with or without natef cream.[12] A recipe for walnut-filled ma'amoul appeared in the 1885 Beirut cookbook Ustadh al-Tabbakhin.[13]

In 1883, Swedish Orientlist Carlo Landberg [sv] described ornamented, date-filled ('ajwa) ma'amoul being made for Eid al-Adha in Syria.[14]

Variations

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The cookies can be filled with nuts (commonly used nuts are pistachios, almonds or walnuts) or dried fruits, most commonly orange-scented date paste.[15]

In Turkey, maamouls are referred to as kömbe and the filling usually consists of crushed walnuts, ginger and cinnamon.[16]

In Latakia, Syria, cheese is a traditional filling.[17][18][19]

Ma'amoul maad

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Ma'amoul maad (Arabic: معمول مد) is a variation of ma'amoul where instead of shaping the dough into individial cookies, it is shaped into a 3-layer cake, with the semolina dough at the bottom layer, the filling in the second layer, and more semolina dough at the top layer.[20][21] It is popular in Lebanon, where qishta is a popular filling besides nuts and dates.[21][22][23]

A similar dessert called dahdah (Arabic: دحدح, romanized: daḥdaḥ, lit. 'plump') is made in Palestine, specifically in Hebron.[24][25][26]

Karabij

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Karabij Halab (meaning "whips of Aleppo") are a stuffed semolina cookie originating from Aleppo, Syria, they are typically stuffed with pistachios, and are served with natef, a sort of marshmallow creme,[27][28] they are a variation of ma'amoul,[29] and are also popular in Lebanon.[30][31]

Kerebiç [tr] is Turkish a variation of karabij.[32][33] It is a semolina cookie that stuffed with nuts and served with soapwort cream, it is popular in Mersin during Ramadan.[34][35][36][37] It is a registered patent under the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as geographical indication, according to the patent office, it was popularized by Arab confectioners in the 1940s.[38][39][40]

  • Maamoul at Vienna Naschmarkt
    Maamoul at Vienna Naschmarkt
  • Lebanese karabij with cream (center)
    Lebanese karabij with cream (center)
  • Turkish Kerebiç in Mersin
    Turkish Kerebiç in Mersin

Etymology

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Look up معمول in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The Arabic word (معمول maʿmūl [mæʕˈmuːl]) is derived from the Arabic verb ʿamala (عمل, meaning "to do"). Grammatically, it is the verb's passive past participle (اسم مفعول), meaning "that which has been done" or "made."[41][10]

It is also commonly referred to as maʿmūl al-ʿīd (Arabic: معمول العيد, lit. 'Eid ma'amoul').[42][43]

Customs

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While ma'amoul are consumed all-year long, they are most associated with Eid Al-Fitr or iftar as meals in celebration for the ending of Ramadan's fasting.[44] For Christian Arabs as well, ma'amoul is also part of the Easter celebrations.[5]

Ma'amoul was traditionally served by the Sephardic Jewish community of Jerusalem during Purim. It was described as the "Sephardic Hamantash".[45] Ma'amoul is also eaten by Samaritans on Sukkot.[46]

See also

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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

References

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  1. ^ a b Robertson, Amy E. (11 April 2017). "Ma'amoul: An Ancient Cookie That Ushers In Easter And Eid In The Middle East". The Salt. NPR. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Ma'amoul: The Sweet Tradition of Eid". The Irresistible Magazine. Al Rifai. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Ma'amoul pie, or how to leave well enough alone". At the Immigrant's Table. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  4. ^ Obayda, Gloria (2010). Sweets And Desserts Of The Middle East. Aribasteel. ISBN 9780955268144.
  5. ^ a b Helou, Anissa (2015). Sweet Middle East: Classic Recipes, from Baklava to Fig Ice Cream. Photographs by Linda Pugliese. Chronicle Books. ISBN 9780594094197.
  6. ^ Ayoub, Sarah; Tabbouch, Sivine; Hazim, Karima Chloe (5 April 2023). "'A very sensory experience': the magic of maamoul, and how to make your own – recipe". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  7. ^ Fox, Tessa (14 April 2022). "Maamoul: A sweet celebration for Christians and Muslims". BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  8. ^ Marks, Gil (17 November 2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH. pp. 1175–1180. ISBN 978-0-544-18631-6. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  9. ^ Robertson, Amy E. (11 April 2017). "Maamoul: An Ancient Cookie That Ushers In Easter And Eid In The Middle East". NPR. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b Ali, Lillian (17 June 2025). "The History of Ma'amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a 'Love Letter' to Our Ancestors". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  11. ^ Spiro, Socrates (1895). An Arabic-English Vocabulary of the Colloquial Arabic of Egypt: Containing the Vernacular Idioms and Expressions, Slang Phrases, Etc., Etc., Used by the Native Egyptians (in Arabic). Al-Mokattam printing office. p. 414. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  12. ^ Actes du huitième congrès international des orientalistes tenu en 1889 à Stockholm et à Christiania (in German). Brill. 1891. pp. 400–403. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  13. ^ Sarkis, Khalil [in Arabic] (1885). كتاب تذكرة الخواتين واستاذ الطباخين (in Arabic). المطبعة الادبية. p. 475. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  14. ^ Landberg, Carlo (1883). Proverbes et dictons de la province de Syrie, section de Ṣaydâ ... [Proverbs and sayings from the province of Syria, section of Ṣaydâ ...] (in French). Brill. p. 126. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  15. ^ Goldstein, Joyce (2002). Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean. Chronicle Books. p. 169. ISBN 9780811830522.
  16. ^ Warren, Ozlem. "Tag: variations of ma'amoul". Ozlem's Turkish Table. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  17. ^ المأكولات التراثية في اللاذقية… ارتباط بمناسبات اجتماعية ومنتجات من خير الأرض والبحر [Traditional cuisine in Latakia… linked to social occasions and products from the bounty of the land and sea]. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). 20 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 November 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Ma'moul bil jibn | Traditional Cheese Dessert From Latakia Governorate". TasteAtlas. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  19. ^ "الكرابيج والمعمول بالجبن" حلويات لاذقانية حاضرة في عيد الفطر.. ما أسعارها في السوق؟ ["Karabij and Maamoul with cheese" are Latakia sweets present during Eid al-Fitr.. What are their prices in the market?]. Athr Press (in Arabic). 20 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  20. ^ Tamimi, Sami; Wrigley, Tara. "Ma'amoul Bars - Ma'amoul Maad". The Happy Foodie. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Date and Cinnamon Squares | Maamoul Mad Recipe". John Gregory Smith. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  22. ^ Kara, Faiyaz (20 September 2023). "Beirut Bakery and Deli, Beirut Grill and Deli deliver Levantine delights of the highest order". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  23. ^ إكرام صعب (17 April 2021). "كلاّج رمضان".. حلوى بيروتية لم تعد للفقراء ["Kallaj Ramadan"... A Beiruti sweet that is no longer for the poor]. Sky News Arabia. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  24. ^ أبو رجائي "ملك الدحدح" في الخليل.. البيع بالبركة [Abu Rajai, "King of Dahdah" in Hebron... Selling by the Blessings]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic). 7 November 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  25. ^ Ismail, Manal. "Dahdah (Palestinian Semolina Cake) Recipe - Manal Ismail". Asif. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  26. ^ طريقة عمل الدحدح الفلسطيني بالسميد .. حلوى المناسبات بلمسة تراثية [How to make Palestinian Dahdah with semolina...a sweet for special occasions with a traditional touch.]. Sada El-Balad (in Arabic). 27 January 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  27. ^ Davidson, Alan (2014). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. p. 440. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  28. ^ Salloum, Habeeb; Salloum, Muna; Elias, Leila Salloum (25 June 2013). Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85772-330-7. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  29. ^ Roden, Claudia (22 March 2018). A New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Essential Guide to Middle Eastern Cooking. As Heard on BBC Radio 4. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-4059-3778-8. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Karabij Halab And Natef Authentic Recipe | TasteAtlas". Taste Atlas. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  31. ^ Dbesh, Nina. "Karabij - Lebanese Pistachio Ma'amoul with Meringue". Foodish by Anu Museum. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  32. ^ ""From Dough to Delight: The Maamoul Making Bite by Bite"". Syria Times. 10 June 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  33. ^ Datian, Christine Vartanian (6 January 2022). "Alice Bezjian's Walnut-Date Ma'amoul Lebanese Cookies". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  34. ^ "Ramazan sofralarının tatlı lezzeti 'kerebiç'" [The sweet taste of Ramadan tables: 'kerebiç']. Anadolu Agency (in Turkish). 28 April 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  35. ^ "Kerebiç tatlısı nasıl yapılır, malzemeleri neler? (Kerebiç tarifi)" [How to make Kerebiç dessert, what are the ingredients? (Kerebiç recipe)]. NTV (in Turkish). 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  36. ^ "Naz Kerebiç Mersin Tatlarını Kayseri'ye taşıdı" [Naz Kerebiç brought Mersin Flavors to Kayseri]. Kayseri Gündem (in Turkish). 4 February 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  37. ^ "Ramazan sofralarının vazgeçilmez tatlısı:" [The indispensable dessert of Ramadan tables]. duzcetv (in Turkish). 12 March 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  38. ^ "Coğrafi İşaret Platformu". Coğrafi İşaret Platformu (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  39. ^ "Mersin Kerebici". venereturkey.com. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  40. ^ "No: 426 – Mahreç İşareti" (PDF). ci.turkpatent.gov.tr (in Turkish). 11 April 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  41. ^ معمول. Almaany. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  42. ^ باسل الخطيب (22 April 2023). لا مهرب منها.. ما الكمية المسموح بتناولها من معمول العيد؟ [There's no escaping it... What is the permissible amount of Eid ma'amoul to eat?]. Sky News Arabia (in Arabic). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  43. ^ ما قصة معمول العيد، المعمول بحب استثنائي؟: " أنا جدة ل 16 حفيدًا ولا يغادرني أحد منهم الا محملًا بالمعمول" [What is the story of Eid Maamoul, made with exceptional love?: "I am a grandmother to 16 grandchildren and none of them leave me without carrying Maamoul."]. SBS Arabic (Podcast) (in Arabic). 19 April 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  44. ^ Webb, Lois Sinaiko; Cardella, Lindsay Grace (2011). Holidays of the World Cookbook for Students (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 383. ISBN 9780313383946.
  45. ^ Ṭalbi-Ḳadmi, Raḥel (1996). Rasheliḳah = Rashelika : niḥoaḥ ha-miṭbaḥ ha-Yerushalmi Sefaradi ha-mesorati : ḥamishah dorot shel matkonim mishpaḥtiyim mesoratiyim רשליקה = Rashelika : ניחוח המטבח הירושלמי ספרדי המסורתי : חמישה דורות של מתכונים משפחתיים מסורתיים [Rashelika: the aroma of the traditional Spanish Jerusalem kitchen: five generations of traditional family recipes]. Jerusalem: O. Raikh, Y. Ḳadmi. pp. 82–87. LCCN 98825100.
  46. ^ Tsedaka, Benyamim (29 October 2020). Samaritan Cookbook: A Culinary Odyssey from the Ancient Israelites to the Modern Mediterranean. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-7252-8589-7. Retrieved 2 October 2025.

Further reading

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