Asuresh or barbara is a sweet known in the Arab world as Noah's candy. The sweet appears in the tradition of both Christians and Muslims in these regions. It contains a mixture of grains, legumes such as beans and chickpeas, wheat, nuts and fruits and is served hot, sprinkled with cinnamon and garnished with nuts, pomegranate, raisins, etc. In Greece, it is traditionally prepared by Thracian women who keep the custom on the eve of Agia Varvara on 4 December.
Servings 6
prep time 12 hourshrs
cooking time 30 minutesmins
10 minutesmins
Total time 40 minutesmins
Equipment
1 saucepan
Ingredients
250gram.wheat
250gram.Sugar
3 tablespoonsflourroasted
100gram.raisins
4duplicatefigsChopped
50 gram.almonds whitewashed
50gram.nuts Coarse
nuts finely chopped for decoration
25gram.Pine cone
pipspomegranatefor decoration
2pinch salt
1/2teaspooncinnamon
cinnamonfor sprinkling
Instructions
1. Wash and soak the wheat from the day before.2. Next, wash the wheat very well and put it in a pot full of water to boil. Add the salt.3. After boiling for 25 minutes, add the sugar and raisins.4. Mix well and add the finely chopped figs.4. Add the walnuts, almonds, pine nuts and figs.5. Toast the flour and add it sifted so that it does not make lumps.6. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring. 7. Turn off the heat and allow the ash to cool,8. Once lukewarm, divide it into bowls9. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and pomegranate
Notes
Traditionally, the asouresis or varvara is prepared on 4 December, on the day of the feast of Saint Barbara.
According to the Thracian recipe, ashoures contains 9 ingredients, which are wheat, almonds, walnuts, pomegranates, raisins, cinnamon, sesame, tahini and chopped fruit, mainly apples. In some areas, 3 or 4 beans were put in the ash for good luck and whoever found them in the bowl was considered lucky.
you can use less sugar and add 1-2 tablespoons of tahini or honey.
you can also add hazelnuts, Aegina nuts, pistachios