Jordanians celebrate sweet success with kanafeh
Kanafeh, a Middle Eastern sweet that has its roots in Turkey, has found its way via Palestine to Jordan, where despite the influx of Syrian refugees and a struggling economy pastry shops are thriving.
AMMAN, Jordan — When Mohammad Qutaishat, the director of the Jordan Media Commission, received a letter from the prime minister’s office Oct. 24 that renewed his appointment, he did what most people in his position would do: He ordered two large trays of kanafeh for the entire office.
Kanafeh, a popular Levantine sweet, is often consumed in Palestine and the Middle East to celebrate a wedding, birth, family feast, graduation, promotion or the first salary of a newly employed young person. Some sources claim kanafeh originated in southeastern Turkey, while others suggest Istanbul; still others claim the sweet originated in Nablus, Palestine, as early as the 10th century.
Kanafeh — made of wheat, cheese, ghee, rose water and sugar — is different from many of the other Middle Eastern sweets because its ingredients include cheese. As it is served hot, the cheese melts and adds a slightly salty taste to the sweetness.
The sweet is almost exclusively produced in family-owned pastry shops, such as Al-Aker, Shanteer, Arafat, Jafar in Jerusalem, and many have become famous brand names throughout Palestine, Jordan and the Middle East.
