Kanafeh

Kanafeh is the Middle Eastern dessert of shredded kataifi pastry baked over melted cheese and soaked in fragrant syrup. It has been loved across the Levant for centuries, and in Israel it is a Friday afternoon ritual in the Arab quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, where people queue for a warm box of it. The combination of crispy, syrupy pastry and salty, molten cheese is like nothing else.

Crispy, syrupy, and molten-cheese warm

The kataifi strands bake into a golden, crackling crust while the cheese underneath melts into a long, stretchy pull. Rose water in the syrup adds a floral whisper, and crushed pistachios bring color and crunch. The contrast of hot pastry, cool syrup, and salty cheese is the genius of the dish, and it is best eaten warm, straight from the pan. Pour the cold syrup over the hot kanafeh for that signature crackle, then dig in before the cheese sets.

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