Sweet Stall · Fried Dough Fritters

Luqaimat

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A version called luqmat al-qadi, 'the judge's morsels', appears in a 13th-century Baghdad cookbook.

Luqaimat are small balls of lightly leavened dough deep-fried until golden and crisp on the outside and soft inside, then drenched in date syrup or honey and sometimes dusted with sesame seeds. Stalls fry them in batches and serve them warm in paper cones, especially after sunset during Ramadan.

Why it's made this way: Luqaimat is closely linked to Ramadan iftar traditions across the Gulf, where a quick-fried, syrup-soaked sweet gives a fast burst of energy after a day of fasting, and the recipe is believed to share roots with the Levantine and Turkish fried-dough sweets carried along old trade routes.