Nuts

Toasted mixed nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, peanuts, chickpeas, hazelnuts, and toasted pumpkin and watermelon seeds, collectively called karazat, is the snack for family gatherings and movie theaters. I particularly remember how we used to anxiously await the exciting chase scenes in cowboy movies. We were less interested in the scenes themselves than in the increased tempo of the seed-cracking caused by the mounting excitement of the audience, whose eyes were glued to the screen. Indeed, those mixed nuts are always associated with fun and happy times. That explains why people in mourning are not supposed to be seen eating them in public, except perhaps for almonds, believed to be beneficial for the digestion. The northern city of Mosul is the major market for karazat, where unusual nuts like habbat khadhra and butum (terebinth berries) are abundant. Lhoom, which is ground toasted chickpeas or sesame seeds mixed with sugar, makes a satisfactory snack for children, especially those with poor appetites. The medieval counterpart for this was the travelers’ sustenance, saweeq, made of toasted grains, ground with almonds and sugar. It was valued as nourishing food for travelers. When mixed with water, it also made a refreshing drink for them (recipes in al-Warraq).