Ka'ak
Ka'ak, is a baked good of varying types produced throughout the Arab world and the Near East. The bread, in Middle Eastern countries, is similar to a dry and hardened biscuit and mostly ring-shaped. A similar pastry called "kue kaak" is also popular in Indonesia.
History
Mentions of ka'ak can be found in the 10th Century work by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq.Ka'ak is attested to in the Kitab al Wusla il al Habib Ibn al-Adim, which originates from Syria in the 13th century. The Kitab al Wusla il al Habib gives three recipes for Ka'ak. Date-filled, ring-shaped ka'ak cookies were also mentioned.
Variations
Bread rings
Ka'ak can refer to a bread commonly consumed throughout the Levant that is made in a large ring-shape and is covered with sesame seeds. Fermented chickpeas are used as a leavening agent. Widely sold by street vendors, it is usually eaten as a snack or for breakfast with za'atar.Tunisian Jews also make a slightly sweet-and-salty version of the pastry, but don't use a yeast-based dough. In Egypt, usually at wedding parties, a variation made with almonds, known as kahk bi loz, is served.
Jordan
In Jordan, sesame-coated ka'ak bread is popular, where it is available in different shapes and size, and often used for sandwiches.Lebanon
In Lebanon, ka'ak bread rings are made of sweet dough rolled into ropes and formed into rings and topped with sesame seeds. Instead of za'atar, after baking, it is glazed with milk and sugar and then dried. They are also shaped into flat rings with uneven widths along the ring, resembling a handbag, they are sold on wheeled carriages where they are carried by being hung on a pole by the ring hole. It is used to make kaak knafeh, where knafeh is sandwiched in a piece of kaak bread.Lebanese ka'ak also goes by kaak alasreya or kaakit al asroniyeh.
East Jerusalem
In East [Jerusalem | Palestinian Jerusalem], it is sometimes served alongside oven-baked eggs and falafel. Palestinians from Hebron to Jenin consider ka'ak al-Quds to be a unique specialty good, and those from the city or visiting there often buy several loaves to give to others outside the city as a gift.Sweets
Sweet semolina ka'ak are made in the Middle East to celebrate special occasions.Arab Christians, primary among them Palestinian Christians and Lebanese Christians, make semolina ka'ak to celebrate Easter. The pastries are often shaped as wreaths and symbolize the crown of thorns that Christians believe Jesus of Nazareth was wearing on the day of his crucifixion.
Sweet semolina ka'ak are also a feature of the Muslim feasts of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Malta
In Maltese cuisine, Qagħaq tal-Appostli are made during Lent with almonds placed around the wreath representing the twelve apostles. Other Qagħaq are available throughout the year in Malta, including Qagħaq tal-ħmira, Qagħaq tal-ghasel and Qagħaq tal-gulglien.Levant
In Gaza, when a neighbour sends a dish filled with food to your house as is often the case during the holidays, it is customary to return the dish filled with food of your own making, and most commonly with ka'ak bi ajwa. The ka'ak sweets are also made year round among the entire Palestinian population and flour is sometimes substituted for semolina.Ka'ak al-asfar is a cake of bread that is made by Muslims in the Levant to honour the souls of the departed. Traditionally, this bread, stamped with an elaborate geometric design, was distributed along with dried fruit to the poor, to children, and to relatives, by the family of the deceased on the Thursday and Monday following the death and on a day known as Khamis al-Amwat. A bread stamp that was used to imprint designs on these cakes was discovered in Palestine and dates back to the fourteenth or fifteenth century CE. It is round, with a round handle and geometric designs, and measures 19 centimeters in diameter. Ka'ak asfar is also traditionally made by Palestinian Christians on Easter.
Maqroota is a date-filled and anise-flavored variation of ka'ak, maqroota is often shaped into a 3 layer cake, with dough on the top and bottom layers and dates in the middle, which is then cut into pieces before baking, or shaped into rolls like kleicha. It is popular in Palestine, and in Lebanon, particularly in Sidon and among Palestinian refugees.