Cairo’s fruit and vegetable vendors, a common sight in the city’s many districts, have begun selling one of their most popular summer fruits, barbary figs, a favourite among millions of Egyptians both rich and poor.
Known by several names worldwide such as prickly pear, cactus pear and also teen shoky, the fruit, which grows on a specific kind of cactus, is native to Mexico, though is also grown in other places around the world, including Egypt and North America.
In Egypt, barbary figs are grown predominantly in and around Minya, a rural province about 300 kilometres south of Cairo, because of its hot, dry weather. The area’s farmers wait for the fig’s harvest season all year, because of the high yield and relatively low maintenance required.
“Every farmer secretly has a crop that he likes more than the rest," says Reda, whose 10 feddans — a unit of area equal to about 0.42 hectares — in Minya’s Samalut suburb yield from 1,500 to 2,000 crates each harvest.
"For me, it’s teen shoky. It’s such an easy crop to get right. It doesn’t require that much work or attention at all and it yields large amounts each year.”
A crate typically holds between 20 and 25 kilograms of barbary figs.
The harvest season is an annual event for many more than Minya’s farmers. When driving through the narrow inner roads of the predominantly agricultural region, one cannot miss the rows of fig crates being sold at the many makeshift fruit stands set up for the short harvest season every year.
While the adults work to harvest the figs from their plantations, most of which are located deep inside the vast expanses of green agricultural land in the area, their children typically run the fruit stands in their absence.
“We have the sweetest figs in all of Minya,” Roqaya Abdo, 10, tells The National. Roqaya’s father owns several small plots of barbary fig cacti in Samalut, a suburb of Minya.
“My brothers and I pick them ourselves each morning but because I am the most responsible, I collect our profits and give them to our father at the end of each day.”
Fruit vendors who sell the figs in Minya and Cairo boast of the fruit’s health benefits, which include promoting good heart and bone health because of the high amounts of potassium and calcium.
Barbary figs are also known for their strong antioxidant properties which come from the fruit's high vitamin C and polyphenol levels.
“They are great for weight loss, it’s because they’re high in fibre which makes you feel full,” says Ramy Gerges, a vendor in the Cairo district of Heliopolis.
Each day, the figs make their way to Cairo and Egypt’s other major cities on large lorries that leave Minya and other provinces such as Qalyubia and unload at various fruit distribution points.
Some of the vendors also conduct private deals with the delivery drivers, who are often their relatives, to bring them the best figs of the haul at reduced prices.
“I am originally from Minya and my family owns some small teen shoky plots down there,” says Ramy. "During the harvest season, my brother brings me crates almost every day, right to where my fruit stand is. I have my fixed clients in the area where I work who have been buying figs from me for years now.”
Barbary figs are made up of a tough outer layer covered in small thorns that can cut the hands of those who are not used to handling them. When removed, the outer layer reveals a soft, watery flesh, which is the edible part of the fig. The outer layer is sometimes repurposed to make vegan leather products.
Because of the fruit’s prickly exterior, Cairo households usually buy them peeled, refrigerate them and serve them cold. Some vendors also have small fridges installed in their fruit stands so they can serve them cold to passers-by, offering a quick snack that can help people stay cool in the summer heat.
Ramy says: “I mostly sell them peeled. The thorns are small and can get under people’s fingernails or into their skin — nasty little pests."
Barbary figs are also full of small seeds which are often swallowed along with the flesh, however, eating around the seeds is somewhat tricky and Ramy says this can discourage some people.
“It takes a certain manoeuvre where the fruit is sucked slowly from around the seeds and then you can either swallow the seeds or spit them out," he says. "It’s always funny watching people eat them for the first time. They look kind of confused.”
Prices of the popular fruit vary greatly season-on-season and will often vary in the provinces and even different neighbourhoods inside Cairo.
At Roqaya’s roadside fruit stands, a crate of figs costs 60 Egyptian pounds ($3.10), which works out at about three pounds per kilo. In Cairo’s poorer neighbourhoods, a kilogram of barbary figs costs about 10 pounds.
“I sell a kilo for 15 or 20 pounds,” Ramy says. His mobile fruit stand is stationed in one of Cairo’s more affluent neighbourhoods.
Though they are mostly eaten fresh, the more avid fans of the fruit freeze batches of it, which they use to make smoothies and juice during the off-season.
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Everybody%20Loves%20Touda
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
