Knafeh in Nablus
Nablus gives its name to knafeh Nabulsiyeh, one of Palestine's best-known sweets. Its cheese, its two kinds, and the giant knafeh of 2009.
Knafeh, explained
Everything about knafeh, from Nablus to Hatay
Where it comes from, how each region makes it, why it works, and recipes tested by real cooks.
Also spelled kunafa, kanafeh, knafeh, künefe, konafa and كنافة.
Learn
The history, heritage and science of knafeh, with every claim sourced.
Kunafa in Egypt
In Egypt kunafa is a Ramadan sweet, made by hand on a great round griddle or by machine, and filled with cream, nuts and, lately, mango or Nutella.
The history of knafeh
Medieval kunafa was a thin crepe-like bread with nuts, not cheese. How it changed, what al-Suyuti wrote about it, and which origin stories are legends.
Regional styles
Nabulsi, khishneh, na’ameh, bil joz and more: how each region makes knafeh.
Antakya künefe
The künefe of Antakya, in Turkey's Hatay province, has a protected name in Turkey and the EU. Threads of kadayıf, unsalted local cheese, butter and syrup, cooked on both sides.
Egyptian konafa
Egypt's Ramadan konafa, made from fine threads and filled with cream or nuts, plus newer mango and Nutella versions.
Knafeh Nabulsiyeh
The knafeh of Nablus, Palestine. White brined cheese, soaked to remove the salt, under coloured pastry, soaked in syrup.
Guides
Cheese, equipment, fixes for common problems, and a glossary of terms.
Cheese for knafeh
Nabulsi, Akkawi and Antakya künefe cheese, how to take the salt out, and cream fillings instead of cheese.
Glossary
The words you'll meet in knafeh recipes and history, in Arabic and English, with alternative spellings.
Knafeh calculators
Convert grams, cups and ounces, scale a recipe to your pan, and work out sugar and water for your syrup.
Recipes
Recipes tested by our contributors, in metric and imperial.
Nothing here yet. The first pieces are being written and tested.
What do you like inside your knafeh?
- Nabulsi cheese (your vote)
- Akkawi cheese (your vote)
- Cream (qishta) (your vote)
- Walnuts (your vote)
- Other nuts (your vote)