Uyghur tea and baqqali honey cake

Uyghur Iftars always begin with hot tea, served on a table beautifully laid with bread and baked goods, sweet jams and fruits. “It’s a way to rehydrate and boost your energy after a day of fasting, and open up your appetite” Gulchehra explains, “while also being relaxing”.

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Uyghurs are big tea drinkers and use different flavored teas according to the seasons. Iftar tea will often include dry desert rose flowers, saffron, rock candy (called navat) or honey  and other favorite herbs that are steeped in a beautiful teapot and drunk hot in a mug called piyale.

“Food, Gulchehra shares, is experienced at different levels…You have to first see and open your appetite right? Even with tea, it’s the same way - it has to be a beautiful color to make you want to drink it. Then there is the smell. I love those Taklamakan roses because they grow in the desert and have a very strong fragrance. And then it’s about the taste.”

Gulchehra brews her Iftar tea with rose petals, dried thyme, saffron, red tea, and navat. She will sometimes add some black tea for the color.

She accompanies the tea with baqqali honey cake and naan. You can find her recipe for naan, here.

Baqqali honey cake

Baqqali cakes are usually made for celebrations. It is very nourishing, with very rich ingredients. It’s a delicacy to break Iftar with tea.

Ingredients

1x cup of butter( 2 stiks) or half a cup of vegetable oil

1 cup x sugar

1 cup x honey

1  tbs x cocoa powder melted with 3 tablespoons of water  or milk.

3 x eggs 

2.5 cups x flour

1 tsp x baking soda

1 cup x walnuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar.

2. Add the honey, coco and mix.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the flour and baking soda.

4. Combine it with the butter honey mix

5. Add the finely chopped walnuts and mix.

6. Grease or line a piece of non-stick paper in a 9” baking pan

7. When the oven is heated to 360 F degrees, put it in the middle and bake for 35-40 minutes..

8. Dip a stick in the middle, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready!

9. Let it cool down before serving and enjoy!