page_title: Somali cuisine
section_title: Sweets
hierarchical_section_title: Somali cuisine / Sweets
caption_attribution_description: Gashaato, a Somali coconut sweets, set with a Somali flag background
context_page_description: 'Somali cuisine varies from region to region and is a fusion of different Somali culinary traditions. It is the product of Somalia's tradition of trade and commerce. Some notable Somali delicacies include Sabaayad/Kimis, Laxooh/Canjeero, xalwo, sambuusa, bariis iskukaris, and Muqmad/Odkac.
  Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Somalia, in accordance with Sharia, the Islamic law.
context_section_description: Xalwo (halwo) or halva is a popular confection served during special occasions, such as Eid celebrations or wedding receptions. Xalwadii waad qarsatey! ("You hid your xalwo!") is the phrase that follows a person who has eloped or has a small, private wedding. Xalwo is made from sugar, cornstarch, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and ghee. Peanuts are also sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor. in the south they have rice pudding called ruz bil laban
  Gashaato, Kashaato or Qumbe, made from coconut, sugar and oil, which is spiced with cardamom, is a much-loved sweet. The sugar is brought to a boil with a bit of water, then the cardamom is added, followed by shredded coconut.
  Lows iyo sisin is a favorite sweet in the south. It consists of a mixture of peanuts (lows) and sesame seeds (sisin) in a bed of caramel. The confection sticks together to form a delicious bar.
  Jalaato, similar to the American ice pop, is made by freezing naturally sweet fruits with a stick in the middle. More recently in Mogadishu (Xamar), it has grown to include caano jalaato, which is made with milk and requires sugaring up. The word jalaato comes from gelato, which is Italian for "frozen".
  Buskut or Buskud comprises many different types of cookies, including very soft ones called daardaar (literally "touch-touch" due to its smooth, delicate texture).
  Doolshe encompasses many delectable styles of cakes.
  Icun is a sweet mostly eaten by southern Somalis. It is made from sugar and flour mixed with oil. People prefer to say Icun I calaangi caloosha I gee (Eat me, chew me, then take me to your stomach) when they see it. It is mainly eaten during weddings and Eid times, but southern Somalis always make it at home and eat it as part of a dessert.
  Basbousa or a creamed filled Basbousa is a traditional Somali sweet cake which is also an Arab influence. It is made from cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup.
  Also in the north of somalia they eat Lokma a ball which is sweety (normally eaten in Egypt)
  Baklava is also eaten by all Somalis.
  Another snack or desert eaten by Somalis, Yemenis and Egyptians is ma'amoul which is a biscuit filled with dates or nuts.
  There are many sweets eaten during festive occasions, such as weddings, parties or Eid. Among these are baalbaaloow, shuushuumoow, bur hindi, bur tuug, and qumbe (coconut), the latter of which is made from coconuts mixed with sugar to form a bar.
caption: Gashaato is a coconut-based confection, set here to a backdrop of the Somali national flag.
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