21 Jun 4 Delicious Lebanese Desserts To Try
Lebanese cuisine is world renowned for its delightful pastries, and quite rightly so! However, there are a range of other delicious desserts to help round off your meal, or just to order for a special treat at any time. Here’s a look at some of the traditional sweet menu offerings from the region.
Baklava
Even people not familiar with Lebanese food may have heard of baklava, which is a traditional miniature sweet pastry, filled with nuts and aromatic syrup. It’s popular throughout the Mediterranean region too, although the Lebanese version is given a unique twist by the syrup, which is flavoured with orange blossom, rosewater, or lemon juice.
The crispy phyllo pastry is topped with crushed pistachio or walnuts, which form a pleasing contrast to the sweet buttery texture. The dessert is traditionally served at special family occasions, or to break the Ramadan fast. Apparently, the word baklava is translated from the Farsi word for ‘many leaves’, which perfectly sums up the delicate layers of pastry.
Shaabiyat
This is a similar product to baklava, but the crispy pastry is filled with a creamy sweet cheese known as Ashta. They are also used as a treat for special events, or to break a fast.
Layali Lubnan
This is a traditional semolina milk pudding, topped with syrup and sprinkled with pistachios. It’s served chilled, and has a distinctive flavour thanks to the orange blossom flavouring in the syrup. Perfect for hot summer nights!
Konafah
This dessert is also sometimes referred to as knafeh, or kanafeh. It’s a popular dish throughout the Middle East, and consists of a spun pastry topped with Akawi cheese, which can be made with cow or goat’s milk. It’s quite salty, providing a pleasing contrast to the sweet syrupy topping. It can also be served with clotted cream or pistachio nuts.
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