Samanu

Common card · No. 464310

Samanu (Persian: سمنو; Azerbaijani: səməni halvası), samanak (Persian: سمنک), sümelek (Kazakh: сүмелек; Turkmen: sümelek / syumelek), sumanak (Tajik: суманак), sumalak (Uzbek pronunciation: [sʉmælˈæk]), or sümölök (Kyrgyz: сүмөлөк [symœlˈœk]) is a sweet paste made from germinated wheat (young wheatgrass) and wheat flour, which is prepared especially for Nowruz (beginning of spring) in a large pot (like a kazan). This practice has been traced back to the pre-Islamic Sasanian Persian Empire. Although Samanu is prominent for "Haft-Sin" (the seven symbolic items traditionally displayed at Nowruz), the preparation "mela" (referring to a picnic) and eating it is traditional in Afghanistan. To make samanu, wheat is soaked and prepared for days, with the entire process taking up to a week. Traditionally, the final cooking would take from evening until the daylight and was a party involving only women. This would be full of laughter and music, with the participants singing songs related to samanu...

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