Knafa Bjoz

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.

By Knafa Bjoz editorsPublished

Also known as: Antakya künefesi, Hatay künefe, künefe, كنافة أنطاكية

Antakya Künefesi is a protected name. It was registered as a geographical indication in Turkey in 2008, with the Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry as registrant,[1] and in the European Union on 13 March 2023.[2] The registered name is Antakya künefe, after the city, rather than Hatay künefe, after the province.

What the registration says

  • Ingredients. Shredded tel kadayıf, fresh künefe cheese, butter and syrup.[1] The cheese must come from named districts of Hatay, and the butter must be unsalted.[1]
  • Assembly. The cheese is cooked between two layers of kadayıf in a shallow, wide, round tray of tin-lined copper or aluminium. The tray size depends on how many portions are made.[1]
  • Cooking. It cooks over a low flame until the bottom browns, then it is turned over and the other side is cooked. The syrup goes on after cooking.[1]
  • Result. About 1–2 cm thick, served hot, and the cheese inside is expected to stretch into strands.[1]
  • Syrup. About 60% white sugar to 40% water, with a few drops of lemon juice.[1]

The registration does not mention pistachio.

How the kadayıf threads are made is described in What is knafeh?

Sources

  1. 1.Antakya Künefesi, geographical indication registration no. 101. Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT), 2008. In Turkish. Amended in Bulletin no. 93, 15 January 2021.
  2. 2."Antakya Künefesi" has been registered in the European Union. Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TÜRKPATENT), 2023.