Skyrocketing dessert prices deprive Lebanese children of a sweet Eid

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s cash-strapped economy and financial meltdown has pushed many parents to compromise on buying Ramadan sweets, while some households have been utterly deprived of traditional delicacies.
With Eid Al-Fitr just around the corner, skyrocketing prices of Ramadan sweets have made many types of special sweets like kallaj, baklava, znoud el-sit, shoaibeyyat and others unaffordable for those wishing to enjoy a sugary taste after a long fast.
“My salary permits me to purchase only two sweets, daily … my two kids share one piece and my parents share one. I haven’t tasted sweets for over two weeks,” Rania Mustafa, a single mother, told Arab News on Tuesday.
Mustafa was standing at a street corner outside Makari and Cherkawi, a familiar sweetshop in Beirut’s busy Mar Elias Street, checking what her budget would allow.
“I’ve been wanting to save 500,000 Lebanese pounds ($5) to buy some sweets for Eid. I couldn’t. Now it’s either sweets for today’s iftar or for Eid,” said Mustafa.
Standing inside the shop, a customer, who requested anonymity, said sweets are “unaffordable” this Ramadan.
“I just bought sweets because we are invited to my son-in-law’s house … it’s shameful to go empty handed. My husband, daughter and I haven’t had sweets this Ramadan,” she said.
Serving sweets when family and friends are invited is a social tradition in Lebanon.
Mohamed Al-Cherkawi, co-partner of the shop, told Arab News: “This year has been so bad, and the market has been so slow. The clients’ purchase power decreased by over 50 percent because of the ailing economy and inflation.”
He said in ordinary days during Ramadan, people used to come at 3 p.m. to buy sweets by the dozen, but not anymore.
“We had 700 clients a day during Ramadan, but since the economic crisis, the average dropped to 150 clients a day,” said Al-Cherkawi.
Despite having reduced the prices, baklava sales went down over 80 percent, he said, due to the lack of customers.
Having just stepped out of neighboring sweetshop Al-Chami, in Karakon Al-Drouz area, Rana Ismail, a mother of three children, exclaimed: “Sweets! What sweets? My husband’s salary allows us to buy Ramadan sweets once a week.”
When asked about the bag of sweets she was carrying, she drew a bitter smile on her face replying: “I lied to my kids and told them their dad had a raise, and we will have extra types of delicacies for Eid. But the truth is I borrowed money from my neighbor to do so.”
Raed Abdul Salam, a banker and father of four children, said: “I haven’t entered a sweetshop throughout Ramadan! Prices are unreasonably high … the only time we had Ramadan delicacies was over an invite.”
He noted that he avoids passing by sweetshops when his kids are with him to spare them from their cravings.
Wissam Al-Hariri, manager of Fakhani Sweets, said there has been a loss of over 50 percent in purchasing power among customers.
“Kallaj is our highest seller … previously we used to sell them per dozen! Since Ramadan last year we have been selling them per piece because clients cannot afford (them). Many of our clients have stopped coming.”
Sharing his first name only, Ahmad walked out of the famous Al-Rachidi Sweets in Dar El-Fatwa area with just three sweets.
“I purchased two pieces of usmalleyye and one ward el-cham for 235,000 pounds. Two pieces for my four kids, and I’ll share one with my wife.”
The shop’s owner, Hussam Al-Rachidi, told Arab News that over 50 percent of his ordinary clients have disappeared.”
“Many clients who used to purchase sweets in kilograms, are now buying per piece,” added Al-Rachidi, who stressed that those who have access to dollars could still afford to buy sweets in decent quantities.