Sweet and sour: price rises hit seasonal Egyptian candies
A woman decorates traditional Aroset El Moulid or (Bride of Moulid) sugar candy in the shape of dolls in preparation for the celebration Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at a workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
TANTA, Egypt (Reuters) - The sugary sweets that form part of the annual celebrations of the Prophet Mohammad's birthday are a treat enjoyed by generations of Egyptian children, but price rises in the country are making the treats a little less sweet this year.
The sweets, known as Halwat El-Moulid, are sugared candies, decorated with colorful paper and shaped after a bride, Al-Arosa, and a horse, Al-Hossan, from Islamic lore which are often bought for girls and boys respectively.
In recent years, vendors said sales have declined because of higher ingredient prices and competition from cheaper plastic dolls imported from China.
A worker ties up moulds of "Aroset El Moulid "or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy dolls, in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
"We were buying sugar three years ago for 3 or 4 pounds (20 U.S. cents). Now we are buy it for 9 or 10 pounds," sweet maker Rabie Abed Rabbo, 65, said in his small workshop in the city of Tanta.
The price of 1 kg of bride and horse sweets this year ranges from 25 to 75 pounds depending on weight, size and quality. In previous years, the sweets would fetch a maximum of around 50 Egyptian pounds.
Egypt has seen price rises for commodities since Egyptian pound was significantly devalued after being unpegged from the U.S. dollar in 2016.
Rabie Abed Rabbo, 65, prepares a mixture to be poured into moulds to make traditional sugar candy named “Aroset El Moulid” (Bride of Moulid) in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
The delicacies are made of sugar and water solution with lemon salt, which is poured into moulds and frozen. They are only made and sold a few weeks before the Mawlid al-Nabi - the Prophet Mohammad's birthday.
Historians say the bride and the horse figures appeared at the time of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, one of the rulers of Egypt during the Fatimid era, when marriages often occurred to coincide with the celebrations.
The Prophet Mohammad's birthday is celebrated on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. This year the celebration falls on Dec. 1.
Aroset El Moulid or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy in the shape of dolls are made in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday end of this week, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
($1 = 17.7525 Egyptian pounds)
(Reporting by Amr Abdallah,; Writing by Mark Hanrahan in London; Editing by Alison Williams)
Wooden moulds used to makes traditional sugar candy in the shape of dolls, ships and horses for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, are seen at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshRabie Abed Rabbo, 65, poses for a photograph beside an “Aroset El Moulid” or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy doll, made for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker pours a mixture into a mould as he makes traditional sugar candy in the shape of dolls, ships and horses in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshWorkers mix sugar with hot water and prepare a mixture to be poured into moulds to make traditional sugar candy named “Aroset El Moulid” (Bride of Moulid) in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshAn Aroset El Moulid or (Bride of Moulid) doll stands next to wooden molds of sugar candy in the shape of dolls, ships and horses in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday at the end of this week, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker ties up moulds of "Aroset El Moulid "or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy dolls, in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshRabie Abed Rabbo, 65, adds lemon salt to increase the consistency of the mixture to be poured into moulds to make traditional sugar candy named “Aroset El Moulid” (Bride of Moulid) in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker ties up moulds of "Aroset El Moulid "or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy dolls, in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshRabie Abed Rabbo, 65, prepares a mixture to be poured into moulds to make traditional sugar candy named “Aroset El Moulid” (Bride of Moulid) in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday at the end of this week, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker holds traditional sugar candy in the shape of a mosque, made for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker pours a mixture into a mould as he makes traditional sugar candy in the shape of dolls, ships and horses for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshRabie Abed Rabbo, 65, prepares a mixture to be poured into moulds to make traditional sugar candy named “Aroset El Moulid” (Bride of Moulid) in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday end of this week, at his workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker makes "Aroset El Moulid "or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy dolls, in preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, at workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshTraditional sugar candy sweets in the shape of dolls, horses and mosque made for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, are seen in the window of the candy workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshHabiba, 6, hugs Aroset El Moulid or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy in the shape of dolls, in preparation for the celebration Prophet Muhammad's birthday, in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshA worker carries wooden moulds of "Aroset El Moulid "or (Bride of Moulid) traditional sugar candy dolls, during preparation for the celebrations of Prophet Muhammad's birthday at a workshop in Tanta, north of Cairo, Egypt November 22, 2017. Picture taken November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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