Father and son keep up family dessert tradition

At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm, fragrant mufataka, a traditional sweet in the Lebanese capital that is rarely found in stores.

"I've been in this shop for 50 years, but we started specialising in mufataka 30 years ago," Makary said from the humble shop with its ageing decor and low ceiling.

A kind of rice pudding made with turmeric, tahini sesame paste, sugar and pine nuts, mufataka is traditional in Beirut but less known even outside the city.

Makary, 73, said he used to sell other sweets but as demand grew for mufataka, he abandoned the rest and now just makes the yellow pudding, together with his cousin, who is also his business partner.

"At the beginning you add turmeric, that's the main thing, then tahini, sugar and rice... we cook it slowly on fire," he said.

The rice must be soaked overnight and Makary said he comes to the shop at 5am to make the dish, which takes about four hours and requires regular stirring.