Ka'ak bil-Qudus

Ka'ak bil-Qudus is a ring of baked bread crusted with sesame seed, sold by street vendors in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The name means ka'ak of Jerusalem. Ka'ak is the Arabic word for a bread ring, and al-Quds is the Arabic name for the city. It is a plain, everyday bread, bought fresh from vendors on the street rather than made to order.

What it really is

Wheat flour, yeast and salt are mixed into a dough, which is shaped into a ring and coated with sesame seed before it is baked. The sesame forms the crust on the outside and gives the bread its nutty flavour. The ring is small enough to hold in one hand. It is a bread, not a sandwich or a pastry, so the menu should describe it as one.

How it's served

• Freshly baked and still warm, bought whole from a vendor on the street.
• Eaten by hand, without a plate or cutlery, as a snack on the go.
• Sold as a plain bread ring. If a seller adds anything to it, that should be named on the menu.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the dish as Ka'ak bil-Qudus and add "sesame bread ring" beside it, so guests who do not know the name can order it.
• Flag wheat, which is the flour in the dough, and sesame, which covers the outside. Sesame is a declarable allergen in many countries.
• Say whether it is served warm, and whether it is sold by the piece or in a bag.
• If the bread is bought in from a bakery, ask the supplier about other allergens in its recipe, since recipes vary between bakers.