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Basbousa

Basbousa topped with walnuts
Alternative names	Harisa
Type	Dessert
Region or state	Egypt
Serving temperature	Cold or warm
Main ingredients	Semolina or farina, syrup
Media: Basbousa

Basbousa (Egyptian Arabic: بسبوسه, romanized: basbūsah) is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that is typically associated with Egyptian cuisine, and is also popular in the wider region. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan, then sweetened with orange flower water, rose water or simple syrup, and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares.

History

The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd edition) suggests that basbousa might have developed from a dish called ma'mounia, which was created around the 10th century. Ma'mounia was made by cooking rice in fat and syrup. This recipe was later adapted to use semolina, with the batter being cooked first and then soaked in syrup.

Another take on its origin suggests that basbousa was first made during the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, likely in what is modern-day Turkey, to celebrate the conquest of Armenia.

Names

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It is found in the cuisines of the Middle East, the Balkans and the North Africa under a variety of names.

• Albanian: revani, Albanian definite form: revanija
• Arabic: هريسة harīsa 'mashed or crushed', نمورة nammoura, بسبوسة basbūsah
• Armenian: Շամալի, romanized: shamali
• Bulgarian: реване, romanized: revane
• Cyprus Greek: σσιάμαλι shamali
• Greek: ρεβανί revaní
• Hebrew: בסבוסה, romanized: basbūsah
• Macedonian: раванија, romanized: ravanija
• Somali: basbuusa
• Persian: روغنی
• Turkish: revani

Basbousa is the most common name for this dessert in the Middle East but it may be named differently depending on the region; it is often called "hareesa" in the Levant. Note that "harissa" in North Africa is a spicy red sauce. It is a popular dessert offered in many sweets bakeries in the Middle East and especially popular during Ramadan.

Variations

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.

Basbousa bil ashta: a Levantine variation of basbousa filled with ashta cream in the middle.

Vegan Basbousa: Basbusa is also available in vegan form using apple sauce to bind the base mix together instead of dairy and eggs.

Basbousa eem Tapuzim: Israeli variation from the coastal region, it is flavored with orange juice.

Basbousa bil Tamr: Libyan variant of basbousa where date spread is being added between two layers of the basbousa.

Tishpishti or Tichpichtil is a Sephardic Jewish variant. The name derives from the Turkish phrase "Tez Pişti," meaning "cooked quickly."

Qizha: Palestinian variant of basbousa with nigella seeds paste called Qizha.

Hilbeh: Palestinian variant of basbousa flavoured with fenugreek seeds.

Aflatoon: South Asian variant, made with semolina, eggs, dry fruits, powder milk, and sugar syrup.

See also

• Arab cuisine
• Hurma
• Melomakarono

References

1. The search for the perfect, aunthenic Egyptian-style basbousa, 21 May 2018, It originated in Egypt, but is also popular throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean under different names and variations like: Nammoura, Harissa and Revani
2. "Basbousa (Egyptian Semolina Cake)", isacpittsburgh.org, 20 July 2020
3. "Arabic Dessert". Archived from the original on 2015-02-08. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
4. Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom; Vannithone, Soun (2014). The Oxford companion to food (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
5. Umphlet, Caroline (2022-06-22). "If You Haven't Tried this Egyptian Sweet, You're Missing Out - Basbousa Recipe". Arab America. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
6. Abitbol, Vera (2019-09-25). "Syria: Basbousa". 196 flavors. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
7. "Aunt Zaneb's Semolina Cake Recipe". Easy Recipes. 2021-10-09. Archived from the original on 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
8. "Tishpishti (Citrus Semolina Cake)". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
9. רשליקה - Rashelika - ניחוח המטבח הירושלמי ספרדי המסורתי. 1999. pp. 82-87
10. "Tishpishti - Recipe". Foodish – by Anu – Museum of the Jewish People. Retrieved 2024-08-31.

Works cited

• Davidson, Alan (2014). Oxford companion to food. : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199677337.

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