Sultaneh Obeid from the Middle East Market holds a box of Baklava.

Middle Eastern baked sweet pastries make thoughtful gifts for Muslim family and friends, as well those who would be interested in cultural treats.

Eid Al-Adha is celebrated at the end of hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday, which will be on Dec. 9 this year. There are approximately 7 million Muslims in the United States and 1.6 billion Muslims in the world.

Baklava and other Middle Eastern pastries are popular during Eid Al-Adha celebrations. One of the places to get such desserts is Shatila Bakery, 1430 W Warren Ave. in Dearborn. Riad Shatila started Shatila Food Products in 1980.

“We are best known for quality and consistency through the years,” he said.

Shatila offers dozens of different dessert pastries, cookies and pies. However, the bakery is mostly known for baklava and mixed pastries.

“Our best sellers are the mixed pastry that is a combination of eight pastry items in one tray; the second best seller is the fingers,” Shatila said.

The pastries are usually made from fillo dough, smothered with rich butter, wrapped around mixed nuts and sugar syrup. It’s all natural and made with no preservatives.

A mixed pastry tray costs $25, which includes 16 fingers, seven baklavas and other sweet treats.

The fingers, which are similar to baklavas but rolled into a finger shape, sell for $12 for 38 pieces or $20 for 80 pieces.

Shatila also offers a variety of pastry gift baskets.

Orders can also be made via the Internet at www.shatila.com and can be shipped throughout the United States, Canada and South America.

Several local Toledo shops sell sweet pastries, too.

Middle East Market, 2222 N. Reynolds Road, sells different sizes of boxes from Shatila.

Bahaa Hariri, general manager, said they offer half, full and small sizes. The full mixed pastry tray costs $29.99; the small mixed pastry tray is $15.49, and the regular tray and fingers tray are $13.49.

Hariri said the pastries come in different varieties of stuffing like walnuts, cashews and pistachios.

“They’re rolled up and baked in the oven and smeared with syrup and when they dry up, they still have that sweet taste with them,” he said.

Hariri said rose water is an essential ingredient in Middle Eastern desserts and adds flavor to the pastries.

During the holidays, especially the upcoming Eid Al-Adha, different pastries are popular.

“But baklavas are the favorite,” he said, compared to kunafa, which is made with shredded fillo dough.

Mamoul, date filled cookies, are also a traditional holiday favorite, Hariri said.

For more information on the Middle East Market, call (419) 531-3999 or view the menu at http://www.middleeast-market.com/.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 11:42 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Holidays.
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