Popular North African treat

MELODY AMSEL-ARIELI

One cold, drizzly Chanukah morning, our bus slowly winds its way toward the farthest reaches of Jerusalem. As it empties out, a couple of elderly women draw together, for both warmth and warm conversation. After dwelling on their children and grandchildren, their talk touches on Chanukah goodies. When I catch the word sfinj, my ears perk up. I move closer, too.

Sfinj (which rhymes with fringe) are North African Jews’ answer to Ashkenazi potato latkes and Israeli jelly doughnuts. Like these two treats that commemorate Chanukah’s miracle, sfinj are fried in oil. Like jelly doughnuts, sfinj are leavened. But here all resemblance ends. Whether coaxed into plump pillows or crowned with rings of decorative holes, sfinj never contain jelly. Moreover, whipped up flour, yeast, a bit of sugar and a splash of water, sfinj are far less sweet and far lighter than most other traditional Chanukah treats.

Although all sfinj are as light as air, sfinj recipes vary widely. “I fry my sfinj in extra-hot oil,” announces one bus passenger, “to keep them extra-light.” “Try making them with soda water instead,” observes her neighbor dryly, “and they’ll be even lighter.” At this, a bevy of women sitting across the way join the fray, “In Algeria, we made ours with milk,” “We Tunisians add orange juice....” As each woman reveals her sfinj secrets, feelings run high. Despite the cold, the conversation has turned hot and heavy.

The word sfinj, so strange to Western ears, is evidently Mugrabi, the Judeo-Arabic dialect still spoken among Moroccan Jews. Although its meaning, as well as its culinary origins, have been lost over time, these doughnuts remain popular eating. Who eats sfinj? Anyone blessed to light Chanukah candles alongside North African family members, friends or co-workers.

Jaqueline Alon, born in Casablanca, Morocco, learned the fine art of pastry making at her mother’s knee. Although she has spent most of her life in Israel, she still devotes long hours to creating traditional Moroccan sweets. Her family and friends enjoy an ever-changing assortment of homemade almond macaroons, elaborate piped pastries, nutted crescents, honeyed whorls and mini marzipan morsels, along with anise, cinnamon and date delights. “In Jewish-Moroccan homes, everything revolves around food,” she smiles. “Everything. And sfinj are everyone’s favorite, hands down.”

Sfinj are not just reserved for the Festival of Lights either. Alon prepares them year round, for brit milahs, bar mitvzahs, Moroccan pre-nuptial henna rituals, weddings, Mimouna festivities, even post-nuptial breakfasts ... and anytime in between.

By the time I reach my destination, I, too, am inspired. With Anon’s recipe in hand, I’ve enjoyed more than one sfinj by Chanukah candlelight over the years.

JAQUELINE’S SFINJ
1 1/2 envelopes fast-action dried yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
3-3 1/2 glasses water
oil for frying
granulated sugar, maple syrup or honey (optional)

Combine yeast, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Mix well. Gradually add just enough water to make a soft dough that is easily gathered into a ball. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes, stopping while it is still sticky to the touch. Cover the bowl with a damp dishtowel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for one to two hours, until the dough doubles in size. Punch down. With water-moistened hands, form walnut-sized balls of dough.

Alternately, punch a hole in the centre of each with your finger. Fold each ring of dough outwards, thus enlarging the holes and creating decorative “crowns.”

In a frying pan, heat oil to a very high heat, then lower it slightly. Deep-fry the sfinj on both sides in small batches. When golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon, and drain them on absorbent paper. Serve immediately, either dusted with sugar, gilded with honey or maple syrup, or plain, as is.

Melody Amsel-Arieli is a freelance writer living in Israel, with an interest in history, genealogy and collectibles. She is the author of Between Galicia and Hungary: The Jews of Stropkov and the forthcoming Jewish Lives: Britain 1750-1950 (Pen and Sword, 2013). Her website is amselbird.tripod.com.

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