Knafeh

Knafeh(Arabic:كنافة) is a traditionalArab dessertmade withkadayif(spun pastry dough)layered withcheeseand soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup calledattar.Knafeh is a popular throughout theArab world, especially in theLevant,and is often served on special occasions and holidays.The most common variant of knafeh inJordanandPalestine,Knafeh Nabulseyeh, originated in the Palestinian city ofNablus.
TheEnglish languageborrows the word "knafeh" fromLevantineandEgyptian Arabic, and widely transliterates it askanafeh, kenafeh, knafeh, kunafah, kunafeh, konafa, knéfé, kunafa, and similar variations.
The ultimate origin of the word knafeh is debated. Some sources state that it comes from theCoptic Egyptianword "kenephiten", meaning a bread or cake.Another view is that it comes from aSemiticroot with a meaning of "side" or "wing", and from theArabickanafa, "to flank or enclose".Early uses are found in stories likeOne Thousand and One Nights.
A common story is that the knafeh was created to satisfy the hunger ofcaliphsduringRamadan. The story, which dates in writing as early as the 10th century, is variously said to have occurred inFatimidEgyptor in theUmayyad CaliphateinDamascus,Syria, where Levantine dessert makers preparing it forMu'awiya I.
Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's tenth century Arabic cookbook,Kitab al-Tabikh(Book of Dishes), which documented many recipes fromAbbasidcourts, does not mention or describe knafeh. However, it does feature a chapter onqatayif, an Arabic pancake dumpling dessert that originated in theFatamid Empire.The 13th century anonymous cookbook,Kitab al tabikh fi-l-Maghrib wa-l-Andalus(Book of Dishes fromMaghrebandAl-Andalus), however, gives a number of recipes for knafeh, which it describes as a pancake dumpling thinner thatqatayifprepared on a flag pan. Some of the knafeh recipes in the cookbook call for layering the thin pancake with fresh cheese, baked, and topped with honey and rose syrup.
Ibn al-Jazarigives an account of a 13th-centuryMamlukperiod market inspector who rode throughDamascusat night ensuring the quality of knafeh, qatayif, and other foods associated withRamadan.Over time, new knafeh preparation methods were developed, including a technique of dripping thin batter onto a metal sheet from a perforated container, creating hair-like strings. A mid-15th centuryOttomanTurkish translation ofMuhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi'sKitab al-Tabikhadded several new contemporary knafeh recipes, though it does not specify where they originated from.Today, knafeh is served throughout the Middle East, although it is "particularly associated with Nablus"and considered to be a "cultural touchstone forPalestinian identity".
Knafeh has been described as a "Palestinian Institution."Knafeh Nabulseyehis a popular version of knafeh originated in thePalestiniancity ofNablus,hence the nameNabulseyeh(also spelled asNabilsiyeh).Nablus is still renowned in for its knafeh, which "is filled with the city’s trademark firm, white, saltynabulsi cheese" and covered with sweet syrup.
Today,Knafeh Nabulseyehis the most common variant ofknafehin Jordan and Palestine.As a result, academics have described Nablus to as the modern-day knafeh capital.
KnafehGhazawiyais a Palestinian variant ofknafehunique to theGaza Strip. It is made with a variety of Gazan nuts and spices, with "nutmeg and cinnamon replacing the cheese."
Künefe is a variant of knafeh believed to have originated inHatay Province, Turkey.It is filled with a mozzarella-like local Hatay cheese and coated in "a syrup made of water, sugar and lemon juice."In 2012, the EU Commission approvedAntakya Künefesi, a variant of bothkadayifand künefe, as aProtected Geographical Indication(PGI).
Dubai chocolateis a chocolate bar with a knafeh and pistachio filling. It was first produced by Fix Dessert inDubai, but versions are now sold worldwide.
There are many several types of knafeh pastry:
The knafeh pastry is heated in butter, margarine, palm oil, or traditionalsemneh, spread with soft sweet cheese, such asNabulsi cheese, and topped with additional pastry. Inkhishnah knafehthe cheese is rolled in the pastry. During the final minutes of cooking, thick sweet sugar syrup, water, and a few drops ofrose waterororange blossomwater are poured on the pastry. The top layer of pastry is sometimes tinted red or orange, and crushedpistachiosare often sprinkled as a garnish.