Hays — date, butter and dried curd paste
Pitted dates kneaded with clarified butter and aqit (dried, crumbled curdled milk), worked into a dense paste rolled into balls. Sweet, rich, slightly tangy from the curd — a snack that sticks to the ribs and keeps for days.
Pitted dates kneaded with clarified butter and aqit (dried, crumbled curdled milk), worked into a dense paste rolled into balls. Sweet, rich, slightly tangy from the curd — a snack that sticks to the ribs and keeps for days.
When you set out on the road or wish to break your fast, nothing beats hays. I would take the softest dates, remove the pits, and knead them with melted samn and crushed aqit until the dough held in the hollow of my hand. You roll it into small balls, keep them in a leather bag, and they follow you from Medina to the edge of the desert without spoiling. Taste: the sugar of the date, the fat of the butter, and that sour hint of dried milk — that is the sweetness of the poor and of kings.
- •Soft pitted dates (tamr) — a good handful per person (sweet base)
- •Clarified butter (samn) — enough to bind (fat and preservation)
- •Aqit (dried, crumbled curdled milk) — generous portions (acidity and protein)
Hays — date, butter and dried curd paste
Pitted dates kneaded with clarified butter and aqit (dried, crumbled curdled milk), worked into a dense paste rolled into balls. Sweet, rich, slightly tangy from the curd — a snack that sticks to the ribs and keeps for days.
Why this dish? Hays is attested in the homes of the early Muslims, including Aisha's: it was prepared for breaking the fast, for weddings, and as travel provisions. Aisha herself was served wedding food — hays embodies this simple yet joyful table.
When you set out on the road or wish to break your fast, nothing beats hays. I would take the softest dates, remove the pits, and knead them with melted samn and crushed aqit until the dough held in the hollow of my hand. You roll it into small balls, keep them in a leather bag, and they follow you from Medina to the edge of the desert without spoiling. Taste: the sugar of the date, the fat of the butter, and that sour hint of dried milk — that is the sweetness of the poor and of kings.
Ingredients (period version)
- Soft pitted dates (tamr) — a good handful per person (sweet base)
- Clarified butter (samn) — enough to bind (fat and preservation)
- Aqit (dried, crumbled curdled milk) — generous portions (acidity and protein)
Ingredients
- Pitted Medjool or Deglet Nour dates — 250 g (sweet base)
- Clarified butter (ghee) — 60 g, melted (fat binder)
- Very dry crumbled feta or dried milk powder (aqit substitute) — 80 g (tangy note)
- A little toasted barley flour (optional) — 2 tbsp (structure)
Method
- Mash the pitted dates into a paste with a fork or mortar.
- Incorporate the warm melted ghee and work until smooth.
- Add the crumbled dried curd (and toasted barley flour if the paste is too soft) and knead.
- Roll into small walnut-sized balls.
- Allow to firm up in a cool place; keeps for several days in an airtight container.
How it was made : Aqit was the desert cheese: curdled milk, salted, sun-dried into hard balls that were grated as needed. Mixed with dates and samn, it provided sugar, fat, and protein in a single portable bite — the energy bar of Bedouin caravaneers.
The contemporary twist : Roll the balls in toasted sesame seeds and serve with a date coffee: a fourteen-century-old 'energy ball'.
Sources : Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq, Kitāb al-Tabīkh (recipes for hays) · Ancient Arabic lexicons on aqit and samn
Aisha · Charactorium
