Samanak Is Boiling, We Are Stirring It, Others Are Asleep And We Are Playing

Cooking Samanak brings us all together; we laugh, tell stories, and enjoy moments until morning.

Ziba Gul, a woman from a remote village in Kapisa province, has been baking samanak for years to welcome the arrival of spring. The preparation of Samanak becomes a celebration for the women and girls of the village, providing an opportunity for gathering and socializing in the place where Ziba Gul resides.

The preparation and cooking of Samanak is a challenging task, but what Ziba Gul prepares is renowned among the locals.

At approximately 60 years old, she, despite not having a stable economic situation, bakes Samanak every year, stating,“Cooking Samanak brings us all together; we laugh, tell stories, and enjoy moments until morning.”

Ziba Gul bakes samanak every year towards the end of the year, but this year, she has made an effort to prepare it earlier due to the arrival of the Ramadan month.

The atmosphere of Ziba Gul's house on the days of samanak preparation is lively; all the village women join hands and work together until the end of the day, dividing various tasks to prepare the samanak.

This women's celebration is characterized by the fire burning under the cauldron. Girls gather around the cauldron, taking turns stirring, silently reciting prayers and songs, and making wishes in their hearts.

In Ziba Gul's view, baking samanak is an excuse to be together, to be kind, and to momentarily forget life's difficulties while sitting with neighbors and relatives.

Ziba Gul encapsulates the joy of her life in the samanak celebration alone. She jests about how the samanak baking ceremony is the only celebration held without the presence of husbands/men.

Ziba Gul described the process of making samanak to us as follows:“The wheat needs to be soaked for a full day, and when the wheat sprouts, it should be spread on a tray and watered for a week to keep it fresh. After a week, the sprouts need to be separated from the wheat, and then they need to pass through a meat grinder. Since I don't have a meat grinder, I crush it specially and then mix it with flour. Then, I cook it overnight using a large cauldron over the fire.”

She continues the“samanak beating” process to the point where, according to her, her hands ache. The locals are familiar with the samanak she prepares and speak highly of it.

The use of samanak and the opening of the cauldron are usually accompanied by special ceremonies. In the place where Ziba Gul lives, women and girls collectively perform these rituals, adding prayers, invocations, and singing to the festivities. They interpret the patterns formed on the surface of the samanak as good omens, much like when people read Hafez's poetry for fortune-telling.

As the cauldron is opened, its warm steam settles amidst the excitement of the girls, gradually revealing the boiling surface of the samanak. Patterns usually form on the surface at this point, and all the women of the community happily interpret them.

When the necessary ceremonies are complete, they divide the samanak and send it to all the nearby households. Neighbors, upon receiving containers of samanak, reciprocate by sending back sweets, nuts, and other treats.

The tradition of samanak in Ziba Gul's village has been to cook some meat for the guests whenever the samanak celebration is held. However, since she is not economically well-off, this year she serves her guests with dates and potatoes (Khorma and kachalu) instead.

The teenage daughter of Ziba Gul, about 17 years old, says that every year they hold the samanak celebration to welcome the new spring and to express gratitude for divine blessings.

Samanak baking is an ancient tradition practised in various parts of the country, mainly prepared by women. Samanak is remembered as a symbol of spring, often made from wheat, sifted flour, nuts, and oil.

Families in Afghanistan believe that samanak is both a vow and a desire. Samanak is a highly nutritious and sweet dish prepared only once a year, usually on the night of Nowruz. Various dishes such as kachi, bread, and halwa are made from green samanak, and many families have the tradition of distributing samanak among their neighbors, relatives, and kin.

“Boiling samanak, we stir with a ladle, while others are asleep, we keep stirring,” is a verse whispered by women from ancient times to the present while cooking samanak, going in a particular style to welcome spring.

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