Afghan Sweets for Celebrations: Kulcha, Jalebi and Sheer Pira

Every Afghan celebration has a taste. For many families it is the crumbly kulcha set out for Eid, the sticky jalebi bought on a cold day, or the plate of sheer pira that arrives with good news. Sweets are rarely eaten alone in Afghan culture; they are made to be passed around, offered and carried from one house to another.

Kulcha: the cookie tray of every holiday

Kulcha is the general name for Afghan cookies and biscuits, and before Eid and Nowruz many kitchens and bakeries are busy making them. Kulcha-e-khatai, a light, crumbly cookie often topped with a pistachio, is a favourite on holiday trays. Other kinds are firmer or flavoured with cardamom and nuts. When relatives come for Eid visits, a plate of kulcha next to the tea is almost expected, and guests usually take at least one piece out of politeness and pleasure.

Jalebi: bright spirals in syrup

Jalebi are thin spirals of batter, fried until crisp and soaked in sugar syrup. They are bright, sweet and best eaten fresh. In Kabul and some other cities, many people connect jalebi with winter, when they are often enjoyed alongside fried fish. Jalebi also turns up at small gatherings, when someone wants to bring something cheerful to share without much fuss.

Sheer pira: the sweet of good news

Sheer pira is a soft milk fudge, usually flavoured with cardamom and decorated with pistachios or almonds. It is closely tied to happy news. Many families prepare it for an engagement, where the shirini khori, or "sweet eating" gathering, marks the agreement between two families. It is also shared when a baby is born, when someone passes an exam, or when a relative returns from a long journey.

When sweets are shared

• Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, when trays of kulcha, nuql and dry fruit greet visitors.
• Nowruz, alongside haft mewa and other spring dishes.
• Engagements and weddings, where sheer pira and decorated trays travel between families.
• A birth, a graduation or a safe return, when neighbours are sent a plate of something sweet.

Sending sweets is also a way of including others in your joy. A plate that goes next door often comes back filled with something else, keeping the circle of sharing turning.

Celebrating from far away

When you cannot be at the gathering yourself, sending something sweet still lets you take part. On Yar, local shops offer flowers & cakes and dry fruit & sweets that can be delivered across Afghanistan, and in Kabul orders placed before 2 PM Kabul time can arrive the same day. The courier photographs the handover, so you can see the moment your family receives it.