The month of fasting (or was it feasting?) has come and gone; we’ve had our pakoras and eaten them too -- now it’s time for dessert and that also all day! And what could be a better opportunity to indulge your sweet tooth than the first day of Shawal, appropriately called Meethi Eid.

From dawn till dusk Eid is an unending feast of all the sugary delights one dreams about the rest of the year; be it bowls of creamy sheer khurma, rose scented sevaiyaan (vermicelli) in syrupy milk or every kind of sweetmeat in all the colours of the rainbow.

Preparations for the grand day begin weeks in advance. Supermarkets are raided for milk cartons making life a lot easier for the neighbourhood milkman who, in days gone by, was expected to deliver extra gallons as soon as the elusive moon was sighted. Vermicelli is sought after with a zeal usually reserved for hunting good rishtas and mithai shops work overtime to meet the demand for everything from barfi to baklava.

Chaand raat is a flurry of activity as dry fruit is chopped, nuts are shelled and last minute trips are made to pick up missing ingredients. Cooking starts early in the morning and the men, returning from Eid prayers are assailed by the aroma of cardamom, kewra and hot butter wafting through the house; a mouth-watering appetiser for the treats in store. The first thing on the menu, even before breakfast in some cases, is the delectable concoction known as sheer khurma. While the main ingredients are simple – milk and vermicelli – it is the little added touches, unique to every household that give each bowl of sheer khurma a different flavour. Some use condensed milk for an extra creamy texture; others go heavy on the vermicelli for a thicker consistency while many roast the vermicelli in butter for a lip-smacking, rich taste. Raisins, almonds and pistachios or even dates are the toppings of choice, making the dish fit for royalty.

It may be hard to resist a second helping of this ambrosial delicacy but the veteran Eid gourmet knows that this is just the beginning. The day will be spent in a series of visits and every destination will offer a different form of sweet temptation. However the one thing common in most Eid desserts is the main ingredient: vermicelli. The humble seevaiyan, packets of which gather dust on supermarket shelves the rest of the year, comes into its own on this occasion. So much so that children often refer to the event as sevaiyon wali Eid. Be it the lingering sweetness of vermicelli pudding or the crispy crackle of saffron scented vermicelli cakes, sevaiyaan, in all its forms, is the hero of the day.

But that’s not to say that other types of dessert are not welcome. A platter of assorted mithai functions both as a colourful centrepiece and a wonderful offering for guests. Be it fat yellow laddoos, gulab jamuns oozing with syrup or gleaming white chunks of barfi; mithai in all its textures, hues and flavours will never go out of fashion on Eid.

And then of course, there is the ever popular Eid cake. Gone are the gooey creations of yore, with their inch-thick layer of cream and Eid Mubarak (or even, Happy Eid Mubarak) sprawled across in bright pink icing. The modern Eid cake can be anything from a delicious double-chocolate fudge to a classy strawberry cheesecake.

It seems Eid day is inextricably linked with sweet foods, not just for South Asians but in all parts of the Muslim world. In Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan, Ma’mul, a biscuit made with semolina (sujji) and dates or walnuts is as much part of Eid as vermicelli is for us. Somalia and Egypt have their own versions of Eid biscuits; Indonesians offer their guests a rich, layered cake called lapis legit while klaicha, a date-filled pastry, is a prime favourite on Eid day in Iraq. Afghanis celebrate the day with a serving of haft mewa, a sweet salad made with seven types of dried fruit; interestingly this is also the symbolic dish of Nauroz, a Zoroastrian festival observed by both Parsis and Muslims in Afghanistan.

Perhaps this sharing of traditions reflects the true spirit of Eid – a feeling of camaraderie, a sense of goodwill towards all and sundry and a celebration of the good things life has to offer. Like that bowl of sheer khurma. Eid Mubarak everybody.