Demand for sweets and chocolates has increased in the capital as people are preparing to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr. Special stands in leading supermarkets, hypermarkets and other grocery stores could be seen doing brisk business while bakeries report increased number of orders for sweet delicacies such as kunafa, ka'k eid, syrupy rolls and other confectionery items, popularly served to guests as part of Eid celebration. Grocery stores are selling different types of loose chocolates on prices that range from SR8 to SR50 per kilogram. Branded chocolates are also in high demand during the festival time such as Eid Al-Fitr, storekeepers said. Parents buy chocolates as gift packs that they present to children on Eid Al-Fitr, celebrated at the culmination of holy fasting month of Ramadan. “I distribute chocolates among the children on the day of Eid Al-Fitr. This is the best way to express happiness after successfully observing the fasting month of Ramadan,” said Saad Al-Shehri, a Saudi father of five. Omar Ba-Fakieh, a Yemeni national said he prefers to offer chocolates and toffee to children of his relatives and friends who visit his house during the three-day Eid celebration. “People should be cautious while buying chocolates, as the market is full of cheap quality that contains too much sugar and less chocolate. Cheap quality chocolates can cause stomach upset,” he said. Mustafa Muhammad, a Sudanese accountant, said ka'ak eid is the favorite sweet dish specially prepared for Eid. “The sweet item is also available in bakeries but I prefer homemade ka'ak eid specially prepared by my wife,” he said. Small grocery stores (baqalaa) have stockpiled ingredients such as vermicelli and dry fruits that are highly in demand during Eid Al-Fitr, particularly among the expatriate families from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These families prepare a special sweet dish on Eid Al-Fitr called sheer khorma and sawai (vermicelli). The sweet dish is prepared with contents that include vermicelli, milk, butter and dry fruits. Effat Shaheen Baber and her sister Parveen Jameel, Pakistani housewives, who were shopping from a grocery store said: “Eid Al-Fitr without sheer khorma is no Eid.” “We also exchange visits among relatives and friends as part of Eid celebration. Children go to recreation centers,” said Effat. The fireworks show and other festivities organized by the authorities at various locations in Riyadh have been a big hit among Saudi nationals and expatriates.
