Makroudh

Makroudh is a diamond-cut semolina cake wrapped around a date paste centre, fried and soaked in honey syrup. It is Tunisia's most iconic sweet, dense enough that a single small diamond, not a large slice, is the standard portion.

What it really is

A firm semolina dough, sometimes layered with a little butter for shortness, wraps around a smooth paste of pitted, cooked-down dates, rolled into a log and cut into diamond shapes before frying. Straight from the fryer, the pieces soak in warm honey syrup long enough to absorb it fully, turning the outside sticky and glossy while the date centre stays dense and fudgy.

The date paste has to be perfectly smooth, not chunky. A makroudh with unevenly mashed dates reads as unfinished; the paste is meant to spread and set like a filling, not sit inside the dough as recognisable pieces of fruit.

How it is served

• Cut into small diamonds, a few pieces per portion.
• With mint tea, the standard pairing.
• Around celebrations and Ramadan especially, though sold year-round from pastry shops.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat in the semolina dough.
• It is naturally vegan and vegetarian as standard.
• Say how many pieces come per portion, since makroudh is rich enough that a little goes a long way.