Manakish ( ar, مناقيش, translit=manāqīsh), or in singular form man'ousheh, or other spellings, sometimes called ar, فَطَايِر, translit=faṭāyir, is a popular
Levantine food consisting of dough topped with
thyme
Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus '' Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...
, cheese, or
ground meat
Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside North America, is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, includ ...
. Similar to a
pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, on ...
, 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 provide their family with their daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast at this time.
Manakish are popular across the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...
, and can also be found in neighboring regions, and centers of Levantine emigration.
Etymology
The word ''manaqish'' is the plural of the Arabic word ''manqūshah'' (from the root verb ''naqasha'' 'to sculpt, carve out' or 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
Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of rela ...
( ar, زَعْتَر, translit=zaʿtar, lit=thyme). The most popular form of manakish uses za'atar (ground dried
thyme
Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus '' Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...
,
oregano
Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.
Oregano is a woody perennial ...
,
marjoram
Marjoram (; ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marj ...
or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted
sesame
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cul ...
seeds, salt, and other spices such as
sumac
Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...
) 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
Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant.
Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Levantine cuisine is ''meze'' including ''tabbouleh'', ''hummus'' and ''baba ghanoush''.
Levantine dishes
* Arabic coffee (قهوة عر ...
.
It is also served as part of a
mezze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...
, or as a snack with a glass of mint tea and feta cheese on the side.
[
*]Cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...
( ar, جُبْنَة, translit=jubna). There are two main types of cheese used on manakish: akkawi ( ar, links=no, عَكَّاوي, translit=ʿakkāwī) and kashkaval ( ar, links=no, قَشْقَوَان, translit=qašqawān). Za'atar is occasionally added to cheese manakish to enhance its flavor.
*Minced lamb
Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside North America, is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, includi ...
( ar, لحم بعجين, translit=lāḥm bi-‘ajīn, lit=meat with dough) also called '' sfiha''. Manakish topped with lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
are served for lunch due to their heavier contents. The minced
Mincing is a food preparation technique in which food ingredients are finely divided into uniform pieces. Minced food is in smaller pieces than diced or chopped foods, and is often prepared with a chef's knife or food processor, or in the case ...
lamb is mixed with tiny pieces of diced tomato and vegetable oil, and the manakish is optionally served with ground pepper or pickles and yogurt.
* Chili ( ar, فليفلة or ).
*Kashk
Kashk ( fa, کشک ''Kašk'', ku, keşk), qurut ( Tuvan and ky, курут, kk, құрт, tk, gurt, uz, qurt, az, qurut, ps, قروت, hy, չորթան-''chortan'', Turkish: ''kurut'') or aaruul and khuruud ( Mongolian: ''ааруул' ...
( ar, كشك). This Iranian staple 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
Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...
( ar, سبانخ, links=no, translit=sabāniḵ), Swiss chard ( ar, links=no, سلق).
See also
*Khachapuri
Khachapuri ( ka, ხაჭაპური ''khach’ap’uri'' from ka, ხაჭო "curds" + ka, პური "bread") is a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise, molded into various ...
*Feteer meshaltet
Feteer meshaltet ( arz, فطير مشلتت, literally "cushioned pies" or "cushion-like pies"), often simply referred to as feteer (), is a flaky Egyptian layered pastry. It consists of many thin layers of dough and ghee and an optional filling. ...
* Musakhan
*Matnakash
Matnakash ( hy, մատնաքաշ) is a leavened traditional Armenian bread. The word ''matnakash'' means "finger draw" or "finger pull", referring to the way the bread is prepared. It is made of wheat flour with yeast or sourdough starter. It is ...
, a flat bread from Armenia. While the word may be related to ''manakish'', ''matnakash'' is plain (no topping)
References
{{Cuisine of Israel
Arab cuisine
Levantine cuisine
Mediterranean cuisine