In every culture anywhere in the world, feasts and food at celebrations are always at the heart of any occasion. This is perhaps the one thing that we humans all have in common; that we celebrate with food.

Sudan’s diverse cultures mean people always have different ways they cook and present their food at large events such as religious celebrations - the Moulid, Ramadan or Eid - or when someone returns from a long trip or recovers from an illness or has achieved academic or career success or even at the most popular event, weddings. Women from the family and neighbours from far and near gather to cook hearty meals and delicious dishes. Festivities themselves start well before the day itself usually by preparing, cutting and baking biscuits. The baskawit, khabiz, minen and ajwa biscuits and many more varieties are a very important component served to the waves of guests and well wishers who pass by in weeks and days before and after the wedding day.

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The video shows fateer preparations, a light biscuit made especially for weddings consisting of flour, a pinch of salt, baking powder, vanilla, eggs and vegetable oil. The dough is then spread very thinly using a pasta making machine and cut into shapes and deep-fried in oil. The crunchy, light biscuits are dusted in icing sugar and handled with tremendous care not only because of how fragile they are, but because they are likely to be devoured by anyone who gets their hand on one!

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Cover picture and video © Zainab Gaafar