Haboaba's Kitchen
Brookyln, NYhaboabaskitchen.com
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Haboaba's Kitchen brings you a taste of Sudanese culture and tradition in the form of delicious handmade tea biscuits, or “Baskaweet Al-Shai,” crafted with pride in the same traditional manner followed by previous generations.
Haboaba is the term of endearment for grandma in Sudan and Haboaba's Kitchen is a tribute to baker Sulafa's grandmother who passed her family tea biscuit recipe down to Sulafa's mother and her six sisters, all of whom were groomed by Haboaba Aysha according to her exacting standards to become exceptional cooks and bakers. In Sudan, the tradition of “Baskaweet Al-Shai” is inextricably linked to the culture of hospitality explains Sulafa. Guests to a Sudanese house are always first served a cold refreshing beverage, and this is usually closely followed by some tea and biscuits. 'To this day, if you ask any Sudanese about “Baskaweet al-Shai” his/her eyes will light up with recognition and with fond childhood memories of dipping the biscuits in milk or tea at breakfast time before going to school,' says Sulafa. 'These biscuits were ever-present in our house growing up. My mother, who was the first in her family to go to college and have a career, always made a large batch, especially since the biscuits have a long shelf-life of several weeks. Not that they ever lasted that long! Between myself and my brothers and all our friends, we went through them very quickly!'
Sulafa was inspired to start Haboaba’s Kitchen when decades later, she ran into childhood friends who still remembered these biscuits and asked for the recipe. Now she is excited to share this piece of her culture and heritage with her fellow New Yorkers!
Haboaba is the term of endearment for grandma in Sudan and Haboaba's Kitchen is a tribute to baker Sulafa's grandmother who passed her family tea biscuit recipe down to Sulafa's mother and her six sisters, all of whom were groomed by Haboaba Aysha according to her exacting standards to become exceptional cooks and bakers. In Sudan, the tradition of “Baskaweet Al-Shai” is inextricably linked to the culture of hospitality explains Sulafa. Guests to a Sudanese house are always first served a cold refreshing beverage, and this is usually closely followed by some tea and biscuits. 'To this day, if you ask any Sudanese about “Baskaweet al-Shai” his/her eyes will light up with recognition and with fond childhood memories of dipping the biscuits in milk or tea at breakfast time before going to school,' says Sulafa. 'These biscuits were ever-present in our house growing up. My mother, who was the first in her family to go to college and have a career, always made a large batch, especially since the biscuits have a long shelf-life of several weeks. Not that they ever lasted that long! Between myself and my brothers and all our friends, we went through them very quickly!'
Sulafa was inspired to start Haboaba’s Kitchen when decades later, she ran into childhood friends who still remembered these biscuits and asked for the recipe. Now she is excited to share this piece of her culture and heritage with her fellow New Yorkers!