Manakish, also manaqish, manaeesh or manakeesh or in singular form man'ousheh (Arabic: ??????? man?q?sh; sometimes called ?????? mu'ajjan?t 'pastry') is a popular Levantine food consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, or ground meat. Similar to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch. The word manaqish is the plural of the Arabic word manq?shah (from the root verb naqasha 'to sculpt, carve out'), meaning that after the dough has been rolled flat, it is pressed by the fingertips to create little dips for the topping to lie in.
Traditionally, women would bake dough in a communal oven in the morning, to provide their family with their daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast at this time.
Manakish is popular in most Levant countries, especially Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, as well as in many cities throughout the world where people of Levant origin have settled.
Video Manakish
Classic toppings
- Za'atar (Arabic: ???? ZAH-t?r), "thyme", manaqish bi'l za'tar). The most popular form of manakish uses za'atar (ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, salt, and other spices such as sumac) as a topping. The zaatar is mixed with olive oil and spread onto the dough before baking it in the oven. It is a favorite breakfast preparation in Levantine cuisine. It is also served by Levantine cooks as part of a mezze, or as a snack with a glass of mint tea and feta cheese on the side. Popular also in the Arabian Peninsula, it was likely introduced there by Palestinians making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
- Cheese (Arabic: ????, jubnah). There are three main types of cheese used on manakish: 'Akk?w? (Arabic: ?????), Sfatit (Hebrew:?????) and Kashkaval (Arabic: ??????). Zaatar is often mixed with cheese manakish to enhance its flavor.
- Minced lamb (Arabic: ??? ?????, l??m bi-'aj?n, "meat with dough", sfiha). Other manakish are served for lunch because of their heavier contents. This popular manakish has lamb topping. The minced lamb is mixed with tiny pieces of diced tomato and vegetable oil, and this manakish is optionally served with ground pepper or pickles and yogurt.
- Chili (Arabic: ??????? or ???? ??).
- Kishq (Arabic: ????) fermented dried yogurt and finely ground wheat mixture, can be used by itself or in combination with other toppings.
- Spinach (Arabic: ??????), Swiss Chard (Arabic: ????).
World Mankousheh Day is a day that was first established by Zaatar w Zeit, an urban eatery franchise. It was launched on 2 November 2017 at all Zaatar w Zeit outlets in the Middle East. The observance celebrates Mankousheh a popular Levantine food consisting of dough that is primarily topped with thyme and cheese. It is widely appreciated in the Arab region and is usually eaten for breakfast. On World Mankousheh Day, Zaatar w Zeit offered free mankousheh to their dine-in customers, to various universities and offices, in addition to distributing them on the streets.
Maps Manakish
See also
- Sfiha
- Lahmajoun (Arabic: ??? ?????)
References
References
Source of article : Wikipedia