Lagniappe: mystery sweet from Nablus

Another Palestinian memory

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Knafeh at Abu Salha, Nablus, September 2011

Knafeh: Rich, buttery, cheesy, lightly crunchy, softly melting, sugar-drenched, achingly sweet, a sort of overwhelmingly opulent Middle Eastern cheesecake that makes New York-style cheesecake look like something invented in a Philadelphia Cream Cheese factory. A little knafeh, for me, goes a very long way, but in the Palestinian city of Nablus I had two full-bore infusions of the stuff? Why? Simply because Nablus, the largest city—and one of the liveliest—in the Palestinian territories, is where some say knafeh was invented. In any case, knafeh from Nablus, kunafeh naboulsia, is  reputed to be the finest in the whole Arab world, and, after a series of incredible sugar highs, I seconded that opinion.

So what is this mystery sweet? If you could see the well-dressed, hijab-clad ladies greedily tucking into plates of knafeh at Heluwiat Abu Salha (Abu Salha’s Sweets Shop) as the sunset call to prayer rings out from minarets all over town, you would perhaps understand its appeal. Abu Salha is one of dozens of similar shops, most of them around Al Manara Square in the heart of old Nablus, but my friend Amina assured me it’s the best of the best. On Thursday evenings, right before the Friday holiday, waiters at Abu Salha slam out portions of knafe as fast as they can move, speeding them to tables or piling them in boxes to carry home.