Wikipedia

Qatayef

"Katayef" redirects here. For other uses, see Outline of kadayif.
For the pastry dough, see Kadayif.
Qatayef
TypeDumpling, pancake
Place of originMiddle East
Region or stateEgypt, Levant
Main ingredientsCream, or a mixture of hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon
  •   Media: Qatayef
Assorted Qatayef

Qatayef, katayef, atayef or qata'if (Arabic: قطايف [qɑˈtˤɑ:jɪf]) is an Arabic dessert. It is a type of sweet dumpling filled with cream or nuts, or a filled folded pancake with a thickness similar to a Scottish crumpet.

Etymology

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Look up قطايف or قطائف in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The Arabic word qaṭaːyif (Arabic: قطايف) is derived from the Arabic root q-ṭ-f, meaning to pick up or to pluck.[1][2]

Origin

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Qatayef is believed to be of Fatimid origin.[3] Some believe that qatayef are the creation of the Fatimid Dynasty, however, their history dates back to the Abbasid Caliphate, 750–1258 CE.[4][5] Qatayef was mentioned in a tenth century Arabic cookbook dating back to the Abbasid Caliphate by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq called Kitab al-Ṭabīḫ (Arabic: كتاب الطبيخ, The Book of Dishes). The book was later translated by Nawal Nasrallah under the name Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens.[6] The traditional stuffing of Qatayef, as evident in a number of Medieval Arabic cookbooks, is crushed almond and sugar. In these recipes, once the pancake was stuffed, it would sometimes be fried in walnut oil or baked in the oven.[7]

Qatayef was traditionally prepared by street vendors as well as households in Egypt and the Levant. It is usually filled with akkawi cheese, crushed walnuts, as well as crushed pistachios. Modern variations, with fillings such as Nutella, are also consumed.[8][9]

Tradition

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Arab Muslims commonly serve it during the month of Ramadan.[10] Arab Christians, particularly in the Levant, also eat it during some celebrations, like Eid il-Burbara.[11][12] Due to its ubiquity in Muslim communities during Ramadan, some Christians also consume qatayif during the Muslim holy month alongside Muslims.[13]

Outside the Arab world, qatayef are a Ramadan staple among Turkish Muslims, they are typically fried and eaten for iftar.[14][15][16][17] Yassi kadayif ("Flat qatayef") are patent by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and have a geographic indication for the region of Malatya, the patent specifies that yassi kadayif is made from 3 different types of flour.[18][19]

Preparation

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Qatayef being cooked on a hotplate, Salfit

Qatayef is the general name of the dessert as a whole and, more specifically, the batter. It is usually made out of flour (and/or semolina flour), baking powder, water, yeast, and sometimes sugar. The result of the batter being poured onto a round hot plate appears similar to pancakes, except only one side is cooked, then stuffed and folded.[13][20][21]

To make Qatayef Satati (deep fried) The pastry is filled with either unsalted sweet cheese a mixture of any of hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, rose extract, and cinnamon. It is then deep fried or, alternatively, baked and served with a hot sweet syrup or sometimes honey. The other way of serving qatayef is by filling it with whipped cream or qishta (قشطة), folding it halfway, and serving it with scented syrup without frying or baking. This way of serving is called assafiri qatayef (قطايف عصافيري).[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Freytag, Georg (1830). Lexicon Arabico-Latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus, adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris, confectum (Vol.1 ed.). C. A. Schwetschke et filium. p. 468.
  2. ^ Badawi, Al-Saïd; Abdel-Haleem, Muhammad (2008). Arabic - English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage. BRILL. p. 767. ISBN 978-9004149489.
  3. ^ "The Ramadan Experience in Egypt". Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  4. ^ "The sweet history of Qatayef". Roya news. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  5. ^ "In Gaza, Qatayef tradition thrives during Ramadan". GULF NEWS. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  6. ^ al-Warrāq, Ibn Sayyār; Nasrallah, Nawal (Nov 26, 2007). Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyār Al-Warrāq's Tenth-century Baghdadi Cookbook. BRILL. p. 422. ISBN 978-9004158672. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  7. ^ "الوصفة العربية | طريقة عمل القطايف" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  8. ^ Sadat, Jehan (2002). A Woman of Egypt. Simon & Schuster. p. 48.
  9. ^ Abu-Zahra, Nadia (1999). The Pure and Powerful: Studies in Contemporary Muslim Society. Ithaca Press. ISBN 9780863722691.
  10. ^ Naanou, Paul; Rhodes, Sam (2020). "Cultural Connections: Exploring the Mathematics of Qatayef". Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12. 113 (12): 1034–1038. doi:10.5951/MTLT.2020.0164. ISSN 0025-5769. S2CID 230629195.
  11. ^ "عيد البربارة: من هي القديسة التي "هربت مع بنات الحارة"؟" [Saint Barbara's Day: Who is the saint who "ran away with the girls of the neighborhood"?]. BBC News Arabic (in Arabic). 3 Dec 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  12. ^ ""قطايف، قمح مسلوق وضحكات الاطفال": كيف يحتفى بعيد القديسة بربارة من جيل الى جيل؟" ["Qatayef, boiled wheat and children's laughter": How is Saint Barbara's Day celebrated from generation to generation?]. SBS. 4 Apr 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  13. ^ a b Reem Kassis (29 Mar 2022). "The Dessert That Tastes Best One Month Out of Every Year". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Beyond borders: Tracing culinary exchange between Turkish and Arab cultures". Türkiye Today. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Bayramın vazgeçilmezi 'yassı kadayıf'" [The essential of Eid: 'flat kadayıf']. Anadolu Agency (in Turkish). 23 Jun 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Malatya'nın baklavası: "Yassı kadayıf"" [Malatya's baklava: "Flat kadayıf"]. TRT Haber (in Turkish). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Malatya'da ramazanın olmazsa olmazı yassı kadayıf" [Flat kadayıf, a must for Ramadan in Malatya]. Hurriyet (in Turkish). 8 May 2019.
  18. ^ "MALATYA YASSI KADAYIFI" (PDF). ci.turkpatent.gov.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  19. ^ "Esnafa, Yassı Kadayıf Coğrafi İşaret Tescil Belgesi dağıtıldı" [Flat Kadayif Geographical Indication Registration Certificate was distributed to tradesmen.]. ERTV (in Turkish). 3 October 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  20. ^ Jeffes, Jane; Mousa, Sally (21 April 2023). "Recipes for Ramadan: Sally Mousa's qatayef (folded pancakes), five ways". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  21. ^ Kassis, Reem (13 Apr 2022). "Qatayef Asafiri (Stuffed Semolina Pancakes) Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  22. ^ "Qatayef with nuts قطايف بالمكسرات | Egyptian Cuisine and Recipes". egyptian-cuisine-recipes.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.