Celebrating Newborns with Samna
Samna is the key to most comfort foods across Egypt and a must for new mothers.
What is Samna?
Samna or ghee in Arabic, is made by melting butter over a low fire. It is the true taste of comfort foods in Egypt. It is custom in Egypt that mothers and their guests enjoy the thick rich Moghaat drink and the snack Sakhina when celebrating the arrival of a newborn.
zafaa at the sobou'a (2015-11-12) by NawayaNawaya
Welcoming a newborn
The ancient Egyptians had special reverence for number 7 and number 40. These numbers were honored in various traditions, one of them is after the birth of a new baby. The newborn’s entrance into life on earth was celebrated seven days after it is born.
Making loud sounds with a mortar and pestle (2015-11-12) by NawayaNawaya
On the 7th day
On the seventh day after birth, family, friends and neighbours gather to welcome the child, with seven seeds, seven candles, seven walks around the baby and seven crossings over the baby by its mother.
Bagged popcorn snack (2015-11-12) by NawayaNawaya
Sweets and chants
The celebrants are offered popcorn and special candy. They chant special songs while making loud noises near the child’s ears, using a metal pestle and mortar. A unique drink is served for this special occasion: Moghaat
What is Mughaat?
Moghaat is a perennial herb with few broad green leaves which grows in Egypt, Yemen, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The root of the plant is crushed, producing a powder, which is mixed with fenugreek powder, crushed nuts, butter, sugar and sesame. Some people add turmeric to the mixture to maximize its health benefits, giving the drink yellow color hues.
Mughat drink (2020-09-20) by NawayaNawaya
The power of Moghaat
Moghaat, with the rest of the powdered mixture, is prepared as a warm drink, and served to new mothers after birth to help them deal with postpartum symptoms. Traditionally served for 40 days to give women stamina and regenerate their energy.
Mughat drink is made from a combination of spices and mughat flower petals (2020-09-20) by NawayaNawaya
Mother's energy
The moghaat mixture is perfect support for nursing mothers. Fenugreek, is a natural aid for lactation, increasing breast milk. Tumeric helps with the inflammation, and ghee gives the mothers energy.
What is Sakhina?
Another samna based food that is served to nursing mothers to strengthen and energize them is Sakhina. The simple ingredients: roasted bread, ghee, and molasses make sakhina a fast snack full of nutrients and health benefits.
Sakhina - roasted flatbread in zebda baladi (ghee) and molasses (2020-09-20) by NawayaNawaya
An energy snack
The simple recipe adds broken flat bread pieces to the melting, stirring them till they become golden, then covers them in molasses. Sakhina is a quick energy snack offered between meals to provide energy and focus. It is also offered to people desiring weight gain.
zafaa at the sobou'a (2015-11-12) by NawayaNawaya
The joy of samna
While these two samna based comfort foods are incredibly rich, new mothers have every excuse to eat them. Visiting guests justify sharing in the indulgence to share in the celebration of the arrival of new human being to earth.
Curator: Laura Tabet
Research: Dalia Basiouny, Sandra Saad Youssef
Photography: Asmaa Gamal, Nawaya
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