Basbousa
Basbousa topped with walnuts
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Eritrea, Somalia |
| Region or state | Middle East, Horn of Africa, the Balkans |
| Details | |
| Type | Dessert |
| Main ingredient(s) | Semolina or farina, syrup |
Basbousa (Turkish: revani or ravani, Arabic: بسبوسة) is a traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake.[1] It is made from cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup.[2] Coconut is a popular addition. The syrup may also optionally contain orange flower water or rose water.
Names
Basbousa has many regional and dialect names (Arabic: بسبوسة basbūsah, هريسة harīsa, and nammoura (in Lebanon[3]), Armenian: Շամալի shamali, Turkish: revani or ravani (from Persian[4]), French: gabelouze, kalbelouz, and qualb-el-louz (in Tunisian French), Greek: ραβανί and ρεβανί).
It is found in the cuisines of the Middle East, the Balkans and the Horn of Africa under a variety of names. It appears to be a variant of the Egyptian dish ma'mounia.[citation needed] In southern Greece, it is called ravani, while in the north, it is called revani. Basbousa is often called "hareesa" in Jordan, the Maghreb, and the Egyptian city of Alexandria.[citation needed] Basbousa is a particularly popular dessert among Coptic Christians for fasts, such as Great Lent and the Nativity Fast as it is vegetarian.[citation needed]
Pastūsha
Pastūsha (sometimes stylized as Pastūçha) is a variant of basbousa that originated in Kuwait in the 2010s. Like basbousa, it is made from semolina soaked in sweet syrup. It is characterized by the addition of finely ground pistachios and orange flower water.
See also
References
- Alan Davidson, Oxford Companion to Food
