A 911 call this week summoned a bomb squad to a gas station in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania, after a customer discovered an unattended box marked with Arabic lettering. Three police cars and the Hazardous Devices and Explosives Unit were dispatched to the scene, and a nearby daycare closed early as a precaution.
Upon investigation, it turned out the box contained exactly what its English description said: cookies. Specifically, ma'amoul, a type of stuffed shortbread cookie delicately flavored with rosewater or orange blossoms and filled with dates or walnuts. The cookies are popular across Mideast cultures and religions, a favorite holiday treat among Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.
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