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Santhosh Chandran
Doha
Even though the sale of 'Katayef', a favourite sweet-stuffed pancake, during the Holy Month of Ramadan has been confined to a few locations in Qatar following massive construction activities across the country, the popularity of the delicacy remains intact.
The craving for Katayef, used frequently to break fast during Ramadan, can be gauged from the long queues seen outside various sweet shops at Markhiya signal and Bin Mahmoud area even in the summer heat.
The sale of 'Katayef', which is made of wheat flour, usually starts at 3 pm and lasts for three hours. During this time, the narrow link roads of Najma and Markhiya are flooded with vehicles to collect the favourite sweet cakes.
Earlier, the sale of 'Katayef' was a sort of celebration in old Doha streets which were dotted with its shops. But, most of these outlets had to be removed following the massive construction activities in Qatar in recent years. That may be the reason why the remaining few locations like Markhiya signal and Bin Mahmoud are so crowded these days. In fact, the Msheireb area was a hub for 'Katayef' selling shops in the city.
While the area has been demolished as part of the infrastructure projects, the vendors selling this special cake during Ramadan have also disappeared. In the past, shopkeepers used to set up temporary kitchens in front of the shops to demonstrate the cooking process to the public while customers bought fresh hot cakes coming directly from the oven.
Majid, a salesman at a sweet shop, said:"Although it is a difficult exercise, we enjoy the process of making 'Katayef'. For us, it is more than a business during Ramadan as it is imbued in the month's spirit of giving. A lot of manpower is required for its preparation. But, once we eat this delicacy, all our tiredness caused by fasting is gone and we start feeling fresh again."
Hamzakutty S, an Indian expatriate, said,"During Ramadan, I come here every day along with my children. We consider it as part of celebration."
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30/05/2017
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