Afghan

A yummy crunchy chocolate biscuit, traditional in New Zealand, and nothing to do with people from Afghanistan! It was so named because of the dark colour of the biscuit...

Afghans

200g (7oz) butter
75g (3oz) sugar
175g (6oz) flour
25g (1oz) cocoa
50g (2oz) cornflakes

Soften butter, add sugar and beat to a cream; add flour, cocoa and lastly cornflakes. Put spoonfuls on a greased oven tray and bake about 15 minutes at 180^oC (350^oF). When cold, ice with chocolate icing and put walnuts on top.

recipe from: Edmonds Cookery Book

Don't forget the walnut on top - they're not Afghans without the walnut!

The Afghan is a member of the hound family, related to the greyhound. They range in height from 50-60" at the shoulder and weigh in the 50-60 lb range. They have extremely long legs with a thin body much like a greyhound, however their body is covered in long silky hair, excluding the face. It is a very athletic breed, capable of running upwards of 35 mph, jumping 20 feet in the air, and leaping 7 feet high from a standing position. Typically they live 12-14 years. Though they are large, they are a very lean breed and tend to eat less than other breeds of similar size.

The breed originated in the areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Northern India several thousand years ago, the exact age of the breed is unkown. They were mainly used to protect villages from predatory animals and as hunting dogs to help catch game for their owners. For many hundreds of years, there were two variations of the breed, the stocky heavily coated mountain dog and the sleek short coated plain dog. In the early 1920's, some of these dogs were brought to England and crossbred, providing the lineage for the modern breed we know today.

The Afghan is a very energetic dog, much like the greyhound, and thus needs a good deal of excercise. This is not a dog for the apartment dweller. It is a rather independent and while it is extremely intelligent, it tends to use this selectively for it's own advantage. This means they can be difficult to train and do not respond well to harsh punishments. They tend to not like being told what to do, so training can require a great deal of patience. They have a rather high opinion of themselves and expect to get their way.

Temperment wise, the afghan is usually friendly but can vary. More often than not, they tend to be a bit wary of strangers and slow to warm up to people. Because the dog was bread primarily as a gaurd and hunting dog, they can be very aggressive towards what they percieve as a threat, making them an excellent dog for home security. They are generally friendly and playfull dogs but may need some time to adjust to changes in environment.

AFGHAN RUGS

Afghan rugs are also sometimes called "Afghans". While I've personally always believed that Persian (now Iranian, I guess) rugs were the finest and most expensive in the world, I gather from a little research that Afghan rugs are now the most sought after rugs, at least in the United States.

Afghan rugs have distinctive hard edges and straight lines, as opposed to the flowery, flowing curves of Persian rugs. They have dark colors, often stained some more with tea.

Different Afghan tribes have distinctive patterns. The most popular Afghan rugs are made by the Hazara, Belouchi and Turkman tribes.

It is perhaps ironic that these days, most Afghan rugs are not made in Afghanistan but by Afghan refugees in nearby Pakistan. Their products are sold at enormous profits in the US and other countries. Also ironic is the fact that sales of Afghan rugs have boomed since the beginning of the war on Afghanistan – Many buyers are afraid that the supply of this commodity will dry up.

Most of the information in this WU was obtained from:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-101501rugs.story

Af"ghan (#), a.

Of or pertaining to Afghanistan.

© Webster 1913.

Af"ghan, n.

1.

A native of Afghanistan.

2.

A kind of worsted blanket or wrap.

© Webster 1913.