Qatayef

"Katayef" redirects here. For other uses, see Outline of kadayif.
For the pastry dough, see Kadayif.
Qatayef
Qatayef asafiri, with cream and nut filling
Alternative namesYassi kadayif[1]
TypeDumpling, pancake
Place of originMiddle East
Region or stateEgypt, Levant
Main ingredientsSemolina flour, flour, sugar, yeast[2]
  •   Media: 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.

In many Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and Egypt, qatayef is regarded as a seasonal specialty tied closely to Ramadan, appearing in markets and bakeries almost exclusively for the duration of the holy month. It is eaten daily after iftar and sometimes at suhoor, making it one of the most anticipated festive sweets of the Ramadan season.[3]

Etymology

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.[4][5] In Ottoman Turkish, the name yassi kadayif (lit. 'flat qatayif') came into use to differentiate between tel kadayıf (lit. 'hair qatayif', known as knafeh in Arabic) and the pancake known in Arabic as qatayef.[6][7][1]

History

Qatayef is believed to be of Fatimid origin.[8] Some believe that qatayef are the creation of the Fatimid Dynasty, however, their history dates back to the Abbasid Caliphate, 750–1258 CE.[9][10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

During the 9th century, thin qatayef, then regarded as high quality, where used to wrap a type of marzipan to create lauzinaj.[13]

Literary mentions of qatayef are plentiful in medieval Arabic literature, like the works of the poets Ibn al-Rumi and Ibn-Hussain al-Jazzar.[14] 15th century Egyptian author Al-Suyuti wrote a letter titled Manhal al-laṭāyif fī alknāfh wāl qaṭāyif, with qatayef mentioned in the title, during a time in which the price of qatayef surged, which was protested by Egyptians.[14][15]

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.[16][17]

Tradition

Arab Muslims commonly serve it during the month of Ramadan.[18] Arab Christians, particularly in the Levant, also eat it during some celebrations, like Eid il-Burbara.[19][20] Due to its ubiquity in Muslim communities during Ramadan, some Christians also consume qatayif during the Muslim holy month alongside Muslims.[21] The ubiquity of qatayef is attributed to its ease of preparation and the affordability of its ingredients.[22][23]

Outside the Arab world, qatayef are a Ramadan staple among Turkish Muslims, they are typically fried and eaten for iftar.[1][24][25][26] Yassi kadayif ("Flat qatayef") are patented 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.[27][28]

Preparation

Qatayef is the general name of the dessert as a whole and, more specifically, the batter. It is usually made out of wheat 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.[21][29][30]

Qatayef satati is deep fried (or baked) pastry 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 served with a hot sweet syrup or sometimes honey. Assafiri qatayef (قطايف عصافيري) is filled with whipped cream or qishta (قشطة), folded halfway, and served it with scented syrup without frying or baking.[31][32]

In pop culture

A 2025 Egyptian TV series by Sameh Hussein was named Qatayef, in reference to the sweet.[33][34]

World records

The Guinness world record for largest piece of qatayef was set in Bethlehem, Palestine, in 2010, and had a mass of 104.75 kilograms (230.9 lb).[35][36][37]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Beyond borders: Tracing culinary exchange between Turkish and Arab cultures". Türkiye Today. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  2. ^ ""القطايف" و"الخروب" عنوان موائد الغزيين في رمضان". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  3. ^ "List of Tables", From Good King Wenceslas to the Good Soldier Švejk, Central European University Press, pp. 195–196, 2005-10-15, retrieved 2026-02-24
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Badawi, Al-Saïd; Abdel-Haleem, Muhammad (2008). Arabic - English Dictionary of Qurʾanic Usage. BRILL. p. 767. ISBN 978-90-04-14948-9.
  6. ^ Isin, Mary [in Turkish] (8 January 2013). "Kadayif". Sherbet and Spice: The Complete Story of Turkish Sweets and Desserts. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-898-5. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  7. ^ Ergil, Leyla Yvonne (18 November 2022). "Turkish desserts that will warm your heart this winter". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  8. ^ "The Ramadan Experience in Egypt". Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  9. ^ "The sweet history of Qatayef". Roya news. Archived from the original on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  10. ^ "In Gaza, Qatayef tradition thrives during Ramadan". GULF NEWS. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. ^ 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 978-90-04-15867-2. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  12. ^ "الوصفة العربية | طريقة عمل القطايف" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  13. ^ Davidson, Alan (2014). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. pp. 661–662. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  14. ^ a b "على مائدتك في رمضان.. اعرف أصل حكاية القطايف" [On your Ramadan table... Learn the origin of the story of Qatayef]. Al-Arabiya (in Arabic). 21 February 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  15. ^ منهل اللطايف فى الكنافة والقطايف. Al-Hilal (in Arabic). No. 4. 1 April 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  16. ^ Sadat, Jehan (2002). A Woman of Egypt. Simon & Schuster. p. 48.
  17. ^ Abu-Zahra, Nadia (1999). The Pure and Powerful: Studies in Contemporary Muslim Society. Ithaca Press. ISBN 978-0-86372-269-1.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ ""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.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ ""القطايف" تُحلّي مرارة العيش.. غزة تتمسك بطقوس رمضان" [Qatayef sweetens the bitterness of life... Gaza clings to Ramadan traditions]. Anadolu Agency (in Arabic). 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  23. ^ ""القطايف".. حلوى شعبية لفقراء وأغنياء غزة" [Qatayef: A popular dessert enjoyed by both the poor and the rich in Gaza]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Bayramın vazgeçilmezi 'yassı kadayıf'" [The essential of Eid: 'flat kadayıf']. Anadolu Agency (in Turkish). 23 Jun 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  25. ^ "Malatya'nın baklavası: "Yassı kadayıf"" [Malatya's baklava: "Flat kadayıf"]. TRT Haber (in Turkish). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Malatya'da ramazanın olmazsa olmazı yassı kadayıf" [Flat kadayıf, a must for Ramadan in Malatya]. Hurriyet (in Turkish). 8 May 2019.
  27. ^ "MALATYA YASSI KADAYIFI" (PDF). ci.turkpatent.gov.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ Jeffes, Jane; Mousa, Sally (21 April 2023). "Recipes for Ramadan: Sally Mousa's qatayef (folded pancakes), five ways". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  30. ^ Kassis, Reem (13 Apr 2022). "Qatayef Asafiri (Stuffed Semolina Pancakes) Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  31. ^ "Qatayef with nuts قطايف بالمكسرات". Egyptian Cuisine and Recipes. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  32. ^ "القطايف.. الحلوى الرمضانية الأولى بالأردن" [Qatayef...the number one dessert in Jordan]. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  33. ^ "قطايف سامح حسين.. اسماً على مسمى بمحتوى مختلف خلق له شعبية" [Sameh Hussein's Qatayef... a name that lives up to its meaning, with a unique content that has earned him popularity.]. Youm7 (in Arabic). 12 March 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  34. ^ "سامح حسين: تفاعل واسع على مواقع التواصل بـ "قطايف" الممثل المصري" [Sameh Hussein: Widespread interaction on social media with the Egyptian actor's "Qatayef"]. BBC News Arabic (in Arabic). 14 March 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  35. ^ "فلسطين تدخل غينيس مجدداً..." [Palestine enters Guinness again...] (in Arabic). 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  36. ^ Stub, Zev (3 December 2025). "Guinness World Records says it stopped taking records from Israel after October 7". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  37. ^ "Largest qatayef". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
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