Rivers of Honey and Pistachio
Middle Eastern desserts weave an incredibly fragrant tapestry of ingredients. You will frequently encounter generous handfuls of emerald pistachios, walnuts, and almonds, deeply sweetened by rich syrups infused with orange blossom or rose water. Establishments like Hafiz Mustafa 1864 in Istanbul and Al Bohsali in Beirut have championed these complex recipes for generations.
The architecture of these sweets ranges from gossamer-thin layers of phyllo dough baked to a crisp, to dense, crumbly tahini blocks. They are rich, communal dishes, meant to be served alongside strong, bitter coffees or aromatic black teas.
Levantine & Ottoman Jewels
Turkish Baklava
Dozen upon dozen of paper-thin phyllo pastry sheets, separated by clarified butter and crushed pistachios, baked until golden and drenched in sugar syrup.
Levantine Kunafa
A remarkable dessert of spun pastry threads (kataifi) encasing a warm, stretchy, unsalted cheese. Baked until crunchy and soaked in fragrant syrup.
Persian Halva
A dense, wonderfully crumbly confection made primarily from toasted sesame paste (tahini) or flour, deeply flavored with saffron, rosewater, and studded with nuts.