Basbousa (Arabic:بسبوسة,romanized: basbūsah) is a sweet, syrup-soakedsemolina dessert popular throughout theMiddle East andNorth Africa.[1] The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan,[2] then sweetened with sugar syrup and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares.
TheOxford 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.[3]
Another take on its origin suggests that basbousa was first made during the 16th century in theOttoman Empire, likely in what is modern-day Turkey, to celebrate the conquest of Irevan (modern dayYerevan).[4][5]
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.[7][11] Note that "harissa" in North Africa is aspicy red sauce.[12] It is a popular dessert offered in many sweets bakeries in the Middle East and especially popular duringRamadan.
Vegan basbousa (egg replaced by apple sauce)
Şambali is also referred to as "Damascus dessert" or "Damascus honey".[13]Şam in Turkish means "Damascus".[14]
Basbousa is believed by some derive its name from a colloquial Arabic expression meaning "just a kiss" (بس بوسة).[15][16][17]
Many variations of syrup-soaked semolina paste can be found in the Middle East; common ingredients include coconut,rose water, citrus, among many others.[18]
Some denser versions also include eggs, modern versions includebaking powder.[9]
Some common versions are:
Pastūsha (sometimes stylized aspastūçha) is a variant of basbousa that originated inKuwait in the 2010s.[19] Like basbousa, it is made fromsemolina soaked in sweetsyrup. It is characterized by the addition of finely groundpistachios and orange flower water.
Hareesa nabaqia (Levantine Arabic:الهريسة النبكية) originates from the city ofAl-Nabek, Syria, and is coated insmen (clarified butter) and pistachios.[32][33]
Şambali: Similar torevani, made with syrup, yogurt and semolina, it is popular in Greece andİzmir.[13][34][35]
^Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom; Vannithone, Soun (2014).The Oxford companion to food (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-967733-7.
