2021 City Photographer, Helene Cochaud: "Central Fairfield has many enticing middle eastern sweet shops. The one that attracts my attention has a large machine in the front oozing out a beige substance. Nuha, the owner, can see my interest and comes over to explain that the machine, one of the only ones in the country, crushes sesame seeds. The creamy liquid is tahini, 100% pure sesame.
As I speak to Nuha about her shop, which opened less than two years ago, she offers me a biscuit to try and I am invited to return to watch her and her staff at work.
At the back of the shop Nuha and a small team of women make a variety of tempting sweet treats. On the day I visit she is training a new woman. Little is said though within a short time dozens of delicious biscuits are prepared. The biscuits they're making are an Iraqi favourite called kleicha. A common treat in many middle eastern homes, kleicha are a small, moreish biscuit with a soft crunchy texture. The spiced pastry is filled with a date paste or walnut mixture before being rolled to create its signature swirl.
Both filling and pastry contain sesame. The pastry is rolled flat onto the work bench with the fillings laid on top. Then rolled into a sausage shape and cut into small sections gently pricked with a fork. Filling and moulding the biscuits, the women work together at speed; it's a blur of experienced hands deftly moving in harmony with one another."
PhotographerHelene CochaudGeolocation[1] 3/42-46 Spencer St, FairfieldNotesThese photographs are part of the 2021 City Photographer project.
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Image ColourColourTypeDigitalCopyrightPartial restriction. Please contact Fairfield City Heritage Services for image use.AcknowledgementHelene Cochaud, 2021 Fairfield City Photographer. Image courtesy of Fairfield City Heritage Collection.
