Kunefe is a dessert that is consumed fondly in Turkish culture and will surprise you with the cheese it contains. For kunefe, it can be called unsalted cheese that is poured hot sherbet and melted between wire kadayif. However, this dessert has a different story.
The ancestor of kunefe is actually an Arabian dessert made with thin phyllo. When the Turks discovered the wire kadayif, they blended this delicious taste with their own inventions and turned it into today’s magnificent kunefe. In fact, the Arabs were so happy with this situation that even today, the Arabic word for kunefe is “tel kadayif”!
After telling this story, let’s share a delicious kunefe recipe that we know was discovered in Hatay. You will love this flavor…
Materials of Kunefe;
- 60 grams of kadayif
- 25 grams of unsalted Maras cheese (you can also use string cheese, if desired)
- 25 grams of pistachios
- 40 grams of butter
- 1/2 teaspoon grape molasses
For the syrup:
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 200 ml drinking water
- 1/4 lemon
Preparation of Kunefe;
- After thoroughly mixing the butter, which we kept at room temperature, with molasses, let’s grease our tray with plenty of butter.
- Then, let’s spread half of our thinly sliced kadayif on our tray and place it evenly on all sides with our hands, pour our grated cheese and 3/2 of our peanuts on the cheese and cover our dessert with the remaining kadayif.
- Our kunefe is ready to go into the oven.
- For sherbet; Let’s boil 200 ml of water, 200 g of granulated sugar and sliced lemon.
- Note: Our kunefe should be cold and our sherbet should be hot.
- Let’s pour the syrup on the fried desserts that comes out of the oven, then decorate with the remaining peanuts and serve hot. Enjoy your meal!
If you’re curious about dessert, don’t hesitate to try it. There are many dessert shops in Turkey based only on kunefe varieties. Even after your stomach is full, you can stop by one of these restaurants with a kunefe concept and taste the types of kunefe you never thought of.
You can serve lukewarm or cold milk and various nuts next to the dessert. Enjoy the elongated cheese!
As Expat Guide Turkey, we will publish fast, practical and delicious Turkish recipes to our visitors in the Food & Beverage category. Stay tuned.
