The best thing I ate this week was a knafeh from Yaffa Knafeh in Tel Aviv. This treat was a recommendation from someone on my trip to Isreal (he also recommended Jasmino! check out our last post here From the Table at Jasmino – From the Table (frommthetable.com)) and after one bite of the knafeh I would eat a bug if he told me it was good.
Knafa is a Palestinian dessert that consists of cheese, pastry, and syrup. All three components provide a unique flavor and texture to the dessert, coming together to create heaven in a dish.
Traditional knafeh is made with akkawi or nabulsi cheese. They have a salty and slightly tangy flavor and when it is melted it has the perfect stretchy texture. These cheeses are very hard to find outside of the Middle East so if you’re lucky enough to find knafa in the US then it’s mostly likely made with mozzarella or ricotta cheese.
The melted cheese is topped with crunchy kataifi pastry. Shredded phyllo dough is spun into fine strands that look similar to shredded wheat cereal. When cooked the pastry becomes golden and crispy on the outside while staying moist on the inside. Kataifi is rich, buttery, and melts in your mouth. The entire dish is topped with a generous ladle of rose syrup and an optional dollop of vanilla and pistachio ice cream.
This dessert is truly delicious. After my first taste, I scanned every market and street for a knafeh stand to get another hit. I was able to get my knafeh fix a few more times on the trip but Yaffa Knafeh reigns supreme.
I am already mapping out where I can get Knafeh in LA, I’ll keep you updated.
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