The best of dessert and cheese in one

Can you also never choose between a dessert or a cheese board? With this Turkish cheese dessert, you get the best of both worlds. Crispy, creamy, savoury and sweet. Künefe (pronounced: ‘kuu-neh-feh’) is heaven in the form of a Turkish dessert.

When I was served it for the first time in my life, I had no idea that the pastry in front of me was filled with mozzarella-like cheese. Probably just as well, because otherwise, with my lactose intolerance (yes, I’m one of those people and believe me, I’m anything but happy about it), I would have politely left it untouched.

Kadayif
I only discovered that this delicacy contains cheese after that first bite and, well, by then I was already in love. That crispy fried, stringy pastry (kadayif, a kind of angel hair made from filo pastry), covered with sweet syrup (made from sugar, water and lemon juice), combined with the unsalted fresh cheese (usually taze kashar, dil peyniri or lor). So delicious that it is more than worth the lactose-induced stomach ache every time.

Tasting
Künefe originates from southeastern Turkey, in the Hatay region. But by now it is available everywhere, including in the Netherlands. It is the kind of typical dish that even locals do not make at home, but prefer to buy from a specialist, such as the Turkish patisserie Şerifoğlu in Amsterdam Nieuw-West.

How do you eat it? Preferably warm, because that is when the künefe is at its crispiest and creamiest. And as if it weren’t rich enough already, traditionally künefe is served like a slice of apple pie, with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.