Snacks We Used to Buy From the Neighborhood Shops in Damascus

Before shops in Damascus were full of imported chocolates, biscuits, and snacks, we had our own favorites. Five Syrian liras, or ten if we were lucky, were enough to stand in front of the neighborhood shop and wonder what to buy. From Derby chips and Raneem to Al Fakhr, Ruby, and Seham gum, these snacks were simple, but they bring back so many memories.

Al Fakhr

Who could walk into the school shop and say no to Al Fakhr? It had two biscuits with caramel in the middle and was covered in chocolate or white chocolate.

Derby

The smell of Derby chips could take us straight back to school. It was one of the favorite snacks for many kids and cost around five liras. Derby is no longer sold in Syria, but it is still part of many childhood memories.

Ruby

Ruby was a chocolate-covered wafer with a famous slogan: “La Elak w La Nessak El Helou.” Many of us probably tried it because of the ad, then kept buying it whenever we passed by the shop.

Ranim Zaatar Chips

Ranim came in different flavors, but the zaatar flavor was a favorite. It was a light, puffed chip with a zaatar taste. It was an easy snack to take to school.

Soda in a Plastic Bag

Remember drinking soda from a plastic bag? Glass bottles had a deposit, so kids would return the bottle to the shop and ask for the soda in a plastic bag with a straw. Simple!

Sami Biscuits and Turkish Delight

Sami biscuits with Turkish delight were a simple favorite. Two plain biscuits with a soft piece of Turkish delight in between. The softer the Turkish delight, the better.

The Chocolate Cake Known as “Ras Al Abd”

There was also a small chocolate-covered cake that was known by an old and inappropriate name. Some kids believed it was made from leftover sweets, so some parents didn’t like buying it. We still wanted it anyway!

Jelly Cup

Small plastic cups filled with fruit-flavored jelly were another favorite. In the 1990s and early 2000s, you could get two for five liras. The hardest part was choosing between all the different colors and flavors.

Twist

Twist was a popular snack to have with tea or coffee. It came in flavors like hazelnut chocolate and milk chocolate.

Dingo

Dingo was another childhood favorite. It was a chocolate and cream biscuit that tasted even better with tea or coffee.

Lamees

Lamees was made of chocolate-covered biscuit sticks that came in a small plastic tray. We loved them so much that we would try to eat them without making the tray look empty!

Hala Juice

A triangle-shaped juice box, a straw, and a bright color. That was Hala Juice. It was a classic school drink, especially with a zaatar manousheh. And after finishing it, we had one more thing to do: blow up the empty box and pop it!

Gum

We can’t forget Seham gum. It was popular in the 1990s and 2000s and often came with stickers or temporary tattoos. There was also stamp gum and balloon gum, which were just as fun.

Five Liras Could Buy You a Lot!

Five liras might not sound like much today, but back then, it could buy us a whole little treat. We’d leave school, check our pockets, and stand at the neighborhood shop trying to choose between chips, biscuits, and gum. The snacks may be gone, but the memories are still here.

What did you always buy from the neighborhood shop? What should we add to the list?

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