Turkish Künefe: the Hot and Cheesy Southeastern Dessert

Turkish cuisine is famous for its sweet and syrupy desserts like baklava and şekerpare (sheh-KEYR' pah-RAY'). It's equally famous, however, for a luscious and cheesy dessert from the southeastern region of Turkey called, künefe (kyoon-eh-FAY') or knafeh. It is among the best pastry desserts that are easily found at Turkish restaurants serving grilled meats and kebabs.

Turkish Künefe

Künefe is a crispy cheese-filled dessert made with kadayıf (kah-dah-YUF'), which is a traditional shredded wheat dessert with pistachio filling. Künefe is served hot out of the oven so the cheese is soft and stringy. Künefe is cooked and served in a very shallow, round metal pan that's specially designed for making this dessert. It's so delicious that Turkish people and tourists alike keep coming back for more.

History

Native to the southeastern parts of Turkey that border the Mediterranean sea, künefe represents regional Turkish cuisine very well. In fact, the best Turkish kebabs also come from this area of the country. It's no coincidence that künefe is found only in restaurants that sell kebab fare. The traditional recipe for künefe is believed to originate from the city of Hatay, though many cities in the region lay claim to inventing it. Important southeastern cities like Mersin, Adana, Gaziantep, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, and Mardin all have their own variations of the dessert. It's also popular in other parts of the Arabic world, like the Levant, Egypt, the Caucasus, and Greece. Also known as knafeh, the Palestinians say that it actually originated in Nabulus, due to its use of white-brine cheese called Nabulsi. Said to be invented in the 10th century, the main ingredients are the same and involve sugar, cheese, pistachios, rose water, and kaymak. Other versions of the pastry are made with a crust from long thin noodle threads and semolina dough.

Where to find it

If you live in Australia, especially in Sydney, you have to at least once in your lifetime visit Sahan Mezopotamian. At Sahan Mezopotamian, we serve many kinds of Turkish foods such as Künefe or knafeh. We serve the best Künefe in Sydney. We also serve any other Turkish foods such as baklava, kebab, etc. You can drop by any time you're craving for Turkish foods. Our Turkish foods contain natural flavors and subtle spices that will tantalize your taste buds. Visit Sahan Mezopotamian now! Source: thespruceeats