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Where does the word "knafeh" come from? It comes from Arabic knafeh, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
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Where does the word "knafeh" come from? It comes from Arabic knafeh, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).
Knafeh’s story begins in Arabic: knafeh meant “a shredded pastry cheese dessert.” A dessert of shredded pastry soaked in sweet syrup, layered with cheese. It reached English by 1900s as knafeh. Nablus in the West Bank is famous for its cheese knafeh. Today, knafeh means a Middle Eastern dessert of shredded pastry soaked in syrup, layered with sweet cheese.
- Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval knafeh "a shredded pastry cheese dessert", a dessert of shredded pastry soaked in sweet syrup, layered with cheese.
- Stage 2 · English · 1900s knafeh "a sweet shredded pastry dessert layered with cheese", Nablus in the West Bank is famous for its cheese knafeh.