Legimart

I first had legimart [legg-ee-maart] several years ago whilst driving through a village, two weeks before RAMADAN [ram-a-dan]. 

It was Nasfat Shaaban [nass-fat sha'AH baan] (direct translation: middle of month eight) and villagers lined the middle of the road, all holding the most enormous oblong plates covered with what looked like doughnut holes. All drivers were being stopped and asked to wind down their windows so the occupants could be given one of these little round balls,

I put one in my mouth and was blown away by the taste. It was the first time I'd ever had date syrup and here it was hot, covering deep-fried, doughy bits. Divine.  We drove along slowly through the village and by the time we'd gotten to the end of the village I was asking my husband to return to the village for more.   

I've been buying date syrup ever since and now use it with all sorts of food: salad dressings, ice cream toppings, in cakes instead of black treacle, on pancakes, etc. etc.