Sfenj Explained

Sfenj
Alternate Name:Bambalouni, khfaf, sfinz
Country:Maghreb
Type:Doughnut
Main Ingredient:Flour, water, sugar, yeast and salt
Calories:137
Calories Ref:[1]
Protein:2
Fat:8
Carbohydrate:14

Sfenj (from the Arabic word Arabic: سفنج|Safanj, meaning sponge) is a Maghrebi doughnut: a light, spongy ring of dough fried in oil. Sfenj is eaten plain, sprinkled with sugar, or soaked in honey. It is a well-known dish in the Maghreb and is traditionally made and sold early in the morning for breakfast or in the late afternoon accompanied by tea—usually Maghrebi mint tea—or coffee.[2] The term Sfenj is used in Algeria and other parts of the Maghreb. It is called bambalouni in Tunisia,[3] and Sfenj in Libya.[4] In Morocco, the term "Sfenj" is used, also sometimes nicknamed in the literature "Moroccan doughnuts".[5] [6] [7] It is also called Khfaf or ftayr in Algeria,[8] [9] [10] and is sometimes also dubbed as the "Algerian doughnut".[11] [12]

History

Sfenj originated in Al-Andalus (Moorish Spain). According to legend, Sfenj was created by mistake, when a baker accidentally dropped a ball of dough into a pan of hot oil.[13] Sfenj was an important part of Andalusi culture, whose role was best summarised by a verse from a contemporary poet: "The Sfenj bakers are worth as much as kings" ("Arabic: سفاجين تحسبهم ملوكا").

It is unclear how Sfenj first spread to the Maghreb, although it is said to have been well known to the Marinid Dynasty, which ruled Morocco from 1270 to 1465. It spread to France during the 13th century, where it inspired beignets.[14] Sfenj were only sweetened with sugar starting in the 18th century, even though sugarcane has been widely cultivated in the Arab world since the 8th century. Before that, they were sweetened with honey or syrup, or simply served plain.

Although Sfenj comes from Al-Andalus, most bakers and sellers of Sfenj in the Maghreb have traditionally been Amazigh (Berbers). The nomadic Amazigh are thought to have spread Sfenj throughout the Maghreb, aided in that by merchants who traveled across the region.

The chef Mustafa an-Nakīr remarks that head meat with Sfenj was a popular breakfast in Marrakesh in his grandparents' time.[15]

Dedicated Sfenj bakers, called sufnāj (Arabic: سفناج), soon appeared throughout the Maghreb, attesting to the dessert's popularity. Sufnājeen (plural of sufnāj) became central figures in the social life of Maghrebi neighborhoods, as they interacted with almost every household in their community every morning, and working as a sufnāj was considered a respectable career. In a traditional Sfenj bakery, the sufnāj (and their large circular fryer) sit on an elevated platform, raised slightly above the rest of the bakery, which is already raised more than a meter off the ground. Customers surround this platform and try to catch the sufnāj's attention to place their orders by raising their hand at him or her and shouting.

Traditional sufnājeen are quickly going extinct in the modern Maghreb, as a result of the rise of industrial bakeries and the proliferation of Sfenj recipes over the Internet blogosphere.

Sfenj in Libya

In Libya Sfenj is eaten sprinkled with sugar or soaked in honey or date molasses. It can be eaten for Friday breakfast or with afternoon tea.[16] Though it is eaten year-round,[17] it is especially popular during the winter months and around Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.[18] It is the Libyan version of the Sfenj[19] doughnuts that are widely popular across the other countries of the Maghreb.[4]

Sfenj can also be prepared with a fried egg in the center. The egg can be runny or hard, and is often topped with cheese.

Sfenj in Israeli culture

Sfenj (Hebrew: סְפינְג'|Sfinj) entered Israeli culture before 1948, as Maghrebi Jews brought it with them when they immigrated to Mandatory Palestine.[20] Sfenj quickly became popular for Hanukkah, as it is easy to prepare at home. However, Sfenj's ease of preparation contributed to its loss of popularity in Israel when the Histadrut, Israel's national labor union, pushed to make the jelly-filled sufganiyah the traditional food of Hanukkah, during the late 1920s. Making sufganiyot well can only be done by professional bakers, and the Histadrut wanted sufganiyot to supplant the home-made latkes in order to secure jobs for Jewish bakers. Their effort was successful: by 2016, Israel's 7 million Jews were eating 20 million sufganiyot per year.[21] More Israeli Jews report eating sufganiyot for Hanukkah than fasting for Yom Kippur.[22] [23]

Varieties

In addition to ordinary Sfenj, there are two special varieties of Sfenj, not counting the different toppings (honey, syrup, and sugar) Sfenj can have:

In language

Sfenj's importance to Moroccan culture is reflected in several idioms in Moroccan Arabic, including:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Benlafouih . Caroline . Sfenj Recipe - Moroccan Doughnuts or Fritters . The Spruce Eats . 31 May 2018.
  2. Web site: Sfenj . ar:سفنج . ar:طبخ.org . tabkh maghribi . 31 May 2018 . 2012 . ar.
  3. Web site: Recette de Bambalouni - Sfenj . Chahia Tayba . 1 June 2018 . fr . 2011.
  4. Web site: Hamza . Umm . SFINZ / SFENJ . Halal Home Cooking . 7 August 2018 . 9 April 2015.
  5. Book: Ahmed Chouari . Memories of Jewish-Muslim Co-existence in the new Mellaḥ of Meknes and Jewish Heritage Conservation in Post-Colonial Morocco . Joseph Chetrit . Jane S. Gerber . Drora Arussy . Jews and Muslims in Morocco, Their Intersecting Worlds. 27 July 2021. 9781793624932 . Lexington Books. 382.
  6. Book: A King's Feast: 40 Aromatic and Exotic Moroccan Recipes - The Best Cookbook to Celebrate Moroccan Independence Day. 30 April 2020. Gordon Rock.
  7. Book: The Great Book of Couscous: Classic Cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. 62-63. Copeland Marks. 1994. the University of Virginia. 9781556114205.
  8. Bouksani, Louisa (1989). Gastronomie Algérienne. Alger, Ed. Jefal. p. 184.
  9. Book: Nas E. Boutammina. Le numide, langue populaire de la Berbérie . 2022. BoD - Books on Demand . 978-2-322-41710-0. 77.
  10. Web site: Scheherazade . Jawahir . Sfenj à la farine. Joyaux Sherazade . 1 June 2018. 24 November 2014. fr .
  11. Web site: Sfenj – Algerian doughnuts . Miam Miam & Yum . 3 Jun 2016 . 8 Apr 2022 . 22 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220522170640/https://miammiamyum.com/2016/06/03/sfenj-algerian-doughnuts/ . dead .
  12. Web site: Stephanou . Marina . Sfenj (Doughnut): the Sweet Sensation of Algeria's Cross-Cultural Cuisine . pan-African . 17 Feb 2021 . 8 Apr 2022.
  13. News: الرحالي . خديجة . ar:"السفناج" مهنة عريقة في المغرب العربي في طريقها للاندثار . 31 May 2018 . . ar. 12001. http://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=67&article=643770&issueno=12001 . 7 October 2011.
  14. News: أوالفقر . حسن . ar:"الاسفنج" فطائر مغربية تحضر الى المائدة من بطون التاريخ! . http://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?article=224823&issueno=9248 . 31 May 2018 . . 9248 . 24 March 2004 . ar.
  15. Web site: 2021-04-14 . أساطير أكل الشارع: الأمين الحاج مصطفى . 2023-05-25 . Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية . ar.
  16. Web site: ar:Libyan Dougnut: Sfinz (سفنز (معجنات مقلية . https://libyanfood.blogspot.com/2010/12/libyan-dougnut-sfinz.html . Libyan food . 7 August 2018 . 17 December 2010.
  17. News: Alharathy . Safa . Libyan Cuisine: Sfinz . 7 August 2018 . Libyan Observer . 26 August 2017.
  18. News: ar:السفنز على الطريقة الليبية . http://alwasat.ly/news/kitchen/41308 . 7 August 2018 . ar:بوابة الوسط الليبي . 24 October 2014 . ar.
  19. Also known as khfaf in Algeria and yo-yos in Tunisia
  20. Web site: Kaufman . Jared . Never Underestimate The Doughnut Lobby . Roads & Kingdoms . 31 May 2018 . 21 February 2018.
  21. Web site: Solomonov . Michael . Why Sfenj Couldn't Be the Official Dessert of Hanukkah . Food52 . 31 May 2018 . 1 December 2016.
  22. Green Ungar . Carol . Winter 2012 . The "Hole" Truth About Sufganiyot . Jewish Action . Orthodox Union . 31 May 2018.
  23. News: Nachshoni . Kobi . Poll: 73% of Israelis fast on Yom Kippur . 31 May 2018 . YNet . 13 September 2013.