Manakish


Manakish is a popular Levantine pastry, consisting of dough topped with za'atar, cheese, or ground meat. It can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch.
Traditionally, women would bake dough in a communal oven in the morning to meet their family's daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast at this time. Saj and taboon are also common traditional cooking instruments for manakish.
Manakish are popular across the Levant, and can also be found in neighboring regions, and centers of Levantine emigration.
In 2023, manakish was inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as an emblematic culinary practice in Lebanon.

Etymology

In standard Arabic, the word manāqīš is the plural of the word manqūšah, from the root verb naqaša, 'to sculpt, 'to carve out' or 'to engrave'; meaning that after the dough has been rolled flat, it is pressed by the fingertips to create little dips for the topping to lie in.

Classic toppings

  • Za'atar. The most popular form of manakish uses za'atar as a topping. The za'atar is mixed with olive oil and spread onto the dough before being baked in the oven. Za'atar manakish is a breakfast favorite in Levantine cuisine. It is also served as part of a mezze, or as a snack with a glass of mint tea and feta cheese on the side.
  • Cheese. popular types of cheese used on manakish include: akkawi and kashkaval. Za'atar is occasionally added to cheese manakish to enhance its flavor.
  • Lahmacun, also called sfiha. Manakish topped with minced lamb are served for lunch due to their heavier contents. The minced lamb is mixed with tiny pieces of diced tomato and oil, and the manakish is optionally served with ground pepper or pickles and yogurt.
  • Chili, or shatta sauce and onions, popular in the Gaza Strip.
  • Kashk. This is a mixture of fermented drained or dried yogurt and finely ground wheat that can be used by itself or in combination with other toppings, such as walnuts or onions, spread onto the bread.
  • Spinach, chard.
  • Eggs. Sometimes the bread has a ridge to prevent spilling, sometimes combined with cheese; this may be called ikras beid or kras beid.