Start-up of the Week: Dokkan Joze W Loze

RIYADH: A new Jeddah-based start-up has customers going nutty for its candied goods.

Dokkan Joze W Loze, which translates as “The Walnut and Almond Shop,” has the perfect products for those looking for a sweet treat to snack on without the guilt of overindulgence.

Owner Wid Sami Fayez began selling her candied nut creations to friends and family about two years ago. As her products gained popularity, she decided to set up shop officially and begin selling to the public.

“Since most of my products are made with walnuts and almonds, I decided to name my shop after the two ingredients I use the most,” she told Arab News. “To imbue the name with the spirit of traditionalism, I added the word Dokkan.”

Fayez started out with her most popular product, candied pecans made with cinnamon. To this day it remains the shop’s best-seller, with candied almonds coming in a close second.

“We also started adding new products recently. For example, for those who don’t have a sweet tooth we offer savory almonds with rosemary, an ideal snack for those on a diet or trying to eat keto,” she said.

Fayez also offers seasonal treats and gift boxes during Ramadan, perfect as gifts for the holiday or to pass around to guests visiting during the holy month. Some of the shop’s seasonal products include dates, stuffed with her signature candied nuts, a pecan cake, and one of the most popular products, a traditional drink called “talbeenah.”

“A year ago, we started offering talbeenah in our shop to celebrate the Prophet’s sunnah. It is a porridge made from barley flour, formed by adding milk and honey to dried barley powder. We then add cinnamon and cardamom to it for extra flavor,” Fayez said.

“The Mother of the Believers, the Prophet’s wife Aisha, narrated that the Prophet recommended talbeenah as “a companion to the heart of the sick,” and noted that it has a variety of health benefits,” she said.

Joze W Loze offers two kinds of talbeenah; the regular, traditional recipe, or the “golden” talbeenah, flavored with turmeric and a delicate blend of other spices such as ginger, cloves, nutmeg and fennel.

“The health benefits of talbeenah are almost endless,” Fayez says of the drink. “In line with the words of the Prophet, it relieves depression and grief, is very good for the heart and the liver, is a natural diuretic, helps with high blood pressure, helps with a cough, contains anti-oxidants, and so much more.”

For customers outside of Jeddah, Fayez also sells talbeenah as a dry mix, to which customers can add their own milk and combine at home.

The shop’s products can be purchased from Instagram by messaging them directly at @dokkanjozewloze, as well as from Jeddah’s community retail space Amkana, @amkanaksa on Instagram.