Ramadan Sweet · Honey-Soaked Fritter

Zlabia

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Vendors pipe the batter into hot oil freehand in one continuous spiral — no mold, no stencil, just decades of practice.

A fermented flour batter, left to develop flavor for up to a day, is piped freehand into hot oil in overlapping spirals and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm honey syrup scented with orange blossom water. Street vendors stack the glistening orange coils on trays especially during Ramadan, when they sell out fast right after the sunset call to prayer.

Why it's made this way: The batter's day-long fermentation gives zlabia a faint tang under all that sweetness, and the dessert is timed specifically around Ramadan, when Algerians break their fast with something sugary before the main meal.