EGYPT: Traditional production methods produce sugar cane-based "black honey", known for its health benefits.

Abu Qurqas, a village near the southern city of El-Minya, is known for the production of sugar cane-based "black honey", which has strong health benefits. In the small village of Abu Qurqas near Egypt's southern city of El-Minya, the art of making so-called "black honey" has changed little over time. The machines that grind sheaves of sugar cane into the juice that is transformed into the popular dessert may be only a few decades old, but much of the scene inside Ahmed al-Sheikh Abu Hassan's "black honey" sugar cane press, or Ma'sara in Arabic, could easily come out of a medieval etching. In the factory's dark, musty interior, sunlight streams in through windows in the brick walls, and men dressed in the Galabayas of Egypt's south use bamboo poles to stir huge copper vats filled with the boiling sugar cane juice. The distilled essence is then processed further at a different location and the end result is a syrup known as "black honey", a dessert that is eaten at breakfast or suppertime, either by itself or mixed with tahini sauce. It is thought to have numerous health benefits. The heart of "black honey" country is El-Minya, in southern Egypt, a city rich in farmland where the surrounding fields sway with tall blades of some of the country's finest sugar cane that is exported around Egypt and even overseas. When the sugar cane is harvested for the production of "black honey", it is bundled onto donkeys and camels and carried to factories like Abu Hassan's in Abu Qurqas. Factory worker Ibrahim describes their traditional methods for producing black honey. "Sugar cane grows on the land, someone will buy it and then it is brought here on donkeys and camels. And we leave it here as you see. After that the labourers carry it and we squeeze it and the sugar cane juice comes out and then we put it in copper vats. And it goes through many stages until we boil it and it becomes honey. And it is moved through tubes to other vats specialized for honey. And then people come and buy it and we give it to them in either tanks or jars," he said. Like many of the traditions that live on in contemporary Egypt, however, the age-old method of making "black honey" is now being overtaken by technology and mass production - much larger factories with more advanced equipment are now marginalizing the "Ma'sara". Nevertheless, many people still prefer "black honey" that is produced the old-fashioned way. Ahmed Al-Sheikh Abu Hassan, who owns the factory in Abu Qurqas, says that he is carrying on a tradition handed down by his father. "[I have been here] for thirty years. When I grew up I found my father doing this job. And of course after my father passed away I built up this place, and I work in this job. Of course it's our job, and certainly it's not profitable, and it's very tiring, but it's our job," he said. Sugar cane originally came to Africa from Asia and was then brought by the Arabs to southern Europe, and to Spain in particular. Egypt is considered to be one of the main producers of sugar cane in the Arab world, with Sudan, Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon also being significant growers. And, as Abu Hassan says, El-Minya is the heartland of Egypt's sugar cane and "black honey" industry. "The nature of the land here is different than any other land, whether in the south or west. The honey is very sweet," he said. One of the reasons for the popularity of "black honey" is the many health benefits that eating it provides. It is said to be a digestive, an antidote for anxiety, an energy booster, and studies have proven that it is an anti-oxidant and good source of iron. A high percentage of children in Egypt suffer from anaemia, and a recent study by Cairo's Ain Shams University recommended that parents give their children "black honey" at meal times because of its high iron content. It is an attractive option to Egyptian parents because the dessert is not only cheap, but its sweetness makes it appealing to children, who often have a spoonful in the morning before breakfast. Nature has provided a rich inheritance for the people of El-Minya, who live amongst the golden fields of sugar cane that produce one of the most popular treats enjoyed by Egyptians and people in the Middle East. And given the many benefits of "black honey", science seems to be proving that a sweet tooth is not always a bad thing.

ITN Source | February 22, 2007

Tags:. .labourers. .exported. .overseas. .stir. .grew