Künefe

Künefe is shredded pastry cooked around melted cheese, soaked in sugar syrup while still hot. It's one of Turkey's most-loved desserts precisely for the contrast it plays with — crisp, syrup-soaked pastry against a stretchy, salty-sweet cheese pull at the centre.

What it actually is

Kadayıf, fine shredded pastry that looks like vermicelli, is layered in a round pan, buttered generously, filled with a mild, unsalted stretching cheese, then topped with more kadayıf and cooked in a tray over fire (or baked in an oven) and flipped until deeply golden and crisp on both faces. As it comes off the heat, sugar syrup is poured over, usually hot, which the pastry absorbs while staying crisp on the outside.

Cut into it while it's still warm and the cheese inside pulls into long strands — a künefe served cold, with the cheese set solid, has missed the point of the dish.

Traditionally, künefe is cooked in a tray over fire and flipped so both sides turn crisp; oven-baked versions also exist. It is the Turkish member of the wider Middle Eastern kunafa/knafeh family of desserts: related regional variations, not exact synonyms. It is classically finished with pistachio, so the classic dish contains pistachio, wheat and milk; versions without pistachio do not carry it. It is vegetarian only if the cheese is made with non-animal rennet. Hot syrup is consistent with tradition, but the exact temperature and method vary from recipe to recipe. Antakya künefesi, the Hatay regional variety with its local cheese and tray technique, was registered as an EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in 2023; that protects the specific regional variety, not the generic name künefe.

How it's served

• Hot, straight from the pan, cut into wedges, the cheese still stretching.
• With a scoop of kaymak or ice cream on top, melting slightly into the warm pastry.
• A light dusting of ground pistachio, for colour and a little crunch against the soft cheese.

Writing it on a menu

• Note the gluten and dairy; both are unavoidable and central to the dish.
• Say if it's made to order; künefe genuinely does not hold — a rested one loses the crisp-to-stretch contrast that defines it.
• Mention it's very sweet, from the syrup; worth a line for guests who don't expect quite how much.
• Flag pistachio; the classic finish makes it a nut allergen.