During Ramadan, the holy month of Islam, Saida’s sweet makers change their menu by adding a large number of sweets that are specific to that time of year. Passing by Al Hallab in Saida (a new branch as Al Hallab is from the north of Lebanon and Saida is in the south), I spotted a gentleman making ataif or Middle-Eastern pancakes. These get filled with ashta, Middle-Eastern clotted cream, or walnuts mixed with sugar and rose water. The ashta variety gets covered with sugar syrup and decorated with pistachios and candied orange blossoms and is absolutely delicious. It certainly is more decadent than the walnut version, but they’re both wonderful.
Here’s a video of the guy at Al Hallab making them in Saida. It’s a pretty cool video, so make sure you watch it.
17 comments
great post, just makes my mouth water to see the video :)… I am originally from Mersin, Turkey. Our food is definetely influenced by Lebanese-Turkish traders of our town. My aunt used to buy these from the bakery, fill them with cream or walnuts, fry them and throw them in syrup… hard to find them in Istanbul, but wants me to go on a hunt for it 🙂
Wow this look delicious. I’ve never tried Middle Eastern food but I’m certainly going to start with these pancakes.
Awesome batter tool! Now I want one 😀
I also have never seen such big Katayef! That huge one would be enough for me to go on for a week of dessert!
Fascinating. They remind me of beghrir, a Moroccan pancake. Thanks for the post.
Nice! I could eat a dozen of the ashta ones!
Thanks for this great video – if only we had street food like this is Oz! And like Viviane – love the batter-pourer; you don’t want to bring a few back with you?????
Whats funny is I have eaten ataif a million times but never known how they make them…makes complete sense that its exactly like a pancake! I need to learn more about my lebanese desserts!
Bien gourmand avec un filet de sirop d’agave, et une boule de glace je craque
Je te souhaite une belle soirée
Valérie.
These look and sound delicious!!!!!! Yum
If there is a heaven, there better be a Hallab there. I can never pass by Tripoli without stopping by. That’s been the case since I was maybe 6 years old. It’s one of the few places I look forward to visiting everytime we are back in Lebanon…although my mom says there is one in Beirut now. That might make the addiction much easier to satisfy mmmmmmm.
I love Lebanese food but for some reason I’ve never had any Lebanese sweets. Now I have a reason to seek them out! 🙂 They look so tasty!
Great country with delicious food, I love this video.
This is one of the food I like to have a bite with when I go to Lebanon next month.
These look great! A nice twist on the boring old breaky pancakes!
Brings in good memories. I specially love the ones with walnuts and sugar filling.
That’ll do so well in my part of town… Now there’s a great business idea.
These look amazing – does anyone know the traditional recipe for them and would you be willing to share? I want to make them right now!