Sulaymaniyah: Clove-covered apples takeover markets on Valentine's day

Variety 05:04 PM - 2021-02-14

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There aren't many Kurdish people who have not heard of clove-covered apples, especially on Valentine's day, Bayan Rashid has been making them for over 25 years.

 

Mrs. Rashid along with her husband keep themselves busy with making clove-covered apples and on Valentine's day they brought their products to one of the public places of Sulayamaniyah to sell their products to love birds who celebrate their love on this day.

 

Bayan says: "Although making clove-covered apples is hard work, but I can make 5-6 one of them daily.. Clove-covered apples have their own specialty. Some people gift it to their lovers and others gift it to their moms to keep it a memory." 

 

Clove-covered apple is an authentic Kurdish tradition that represents love, peace, and brotherhood. It can be kept for years as a memory. It can also be oranges covered with cloves as well.  

 

The preservation of a red apple with cloves is a Kurdish tradition symbolizing Adam & Eve's relation with the apple, representing love & prosperity. 

 

In 2013, the Kurdistan Region's tourism board has officially named clove-covered apples as Kurdish Gift to give it any foreign visitor who comes to the Kurdistan Region as a symbol of the Kurds

 

 

 

Reported by Jamal Sargati

PUKmedia