All the way from Nablus - The Art of Making Knafeh

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 20:55:00 GMT

Photos by Tala

By Rakan Mehyar

Knafeh is a traditional dessert which is very popular in the Levant region of the Middle East and which is originally from Nablus, a prominent city in the West Bank of Palestine. Knafeh is extremely popular in Jordan and ubiquitous throughout the year but especially on special occasions such as graduations, engagement parties etc. The word Knafeh is usually followed by Nabulsiyeh as in Knafeh Nabulsiyeh to indicate the city of its origin.

I was invited for dinner the other day at one of my best friends' house in Amman. Dinner was made underground in a Zarb - a traditional Bedouin technique of cooking meat underneath the sand. Anyhow, what I’d like to write about is not the main course but about the special dessert which my friend Laith prepared; Laith's family are from Nablus so it was bound to be knafeh!

Knafeh is one of the most traditional sweets in Jordan. Most people here buy Knafeh from a special shop for tradional sweets… while some people - especially those from Nablus - prefer to prepare it themselves at home.

Grandfather to father to son, this art has survived war and peace.

After finishing up the main dish, we all gathered around Laith to watch him prepare some delicious knafeh.

Ingredients: jibneh nabulsiyeh (salty white goat cheese), smeed (a kind of pastry made of wheat), samneh baladiyeh (saturated fat) and qater (sugar syrup)

Recipe: I am not too sure I can write down the Knafeh recipe in a few lines. I guess it takes watching an expert like Laith's dad or Laith to have a better idea. In general we can say it takes a good Nabulsi friend to do the job!

Anyhow, the Knafeh was great and the company was even greater! Thanks to the Al-Masri Family...

Treks and Trails of Jordan: Arabic Cuisine

All the way from Nablus - The Art of Making Knafeh