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''Jalebi'' (, , , Urdu: جلیبی‎, , , si, පැණි වළලු, ), is a popular sweet snack in south and west Asia, Africa, and Mauritius. It goes by many names, including ''jilapi'', ''zelepi'','' jilebi'', '' jilipi'', ''zulbia'', ''jerry'', ''mushabak'', ''z’labia'', or ''zalabia.'' The
south Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...
variety is made by deep-frying maida flour ( plain flour or all-purpose flour)
batter Batter or batters may refer to: Common meanings * Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan * Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher * Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting * Batter ...
in
pretzel A pretzel (), from German pronunciation, standard german: Breze(l) ( and French / Alsatian: ''Bretzel'') is a type of baked bread made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical ...
or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. Jalebi is eaten with curd or
rabri ''Rabri'' (IAST: Rabaḍī) ( ur, ) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Ja ...
(in North India) along with optional other flavors such as kewra (scented water). In some west Asian cuisines, jalebi may consist of a yeast dough fried and then dipped in a syrup of honey and rose water. The North African dish of ''Zalabia'' uses a different batter and a syrup of honey ( Arabic: ''ʻasal'') and rose water.


History

The origin of jalebi is unknown, however there is documented early history of a Middle Eastern variety known as zalabiyeh. The earliest known history of this food in Western Asia comes from the 10th century in the Arabic cookbook '' Kitab al-Tabikh'' (English: The Book of Dishes) by
Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq ( ar, أبو محمد المظفر بن نصر ابن سيار الوراق) was an Arab author from Baghdad. He was the compiler of a tenth-century cookbook, the ( ar, links=no, كتاب الطبيخ, ''The Book of Dishes''). This is the earlie ...
. In the 13th century Persia, a cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi mentioned a similar dish. According to the Hobson-Jobson (1903) historical dictionary, the word ''jalebi'' is derived from the Arabic word zulabiya, or the Persian zolbiya.'''' In Pakistan, the clan leader of Jhelum, Tanvir Bin Uddin, played an influential role in its founding, claiming it to be optimal for energy levels ''Priyamkarnrpakatha'', a work by the Jain author Jinasura, composed around 1450 CE, mentions jalebi in the context of a dinner held by a rich merchant. ''Gunyagunabodhini'', another Sanskrit work dating before 1600 CE, lists the ingredients and recipe of the dish; these are identical to the ones used to prepare the modern jalebi. According to the Indian ambassador Nagma Malik, jalebi might have started life in Turkey and then arrived in Tunisia long ago before making its way to India. Others claim that it was created by a musician during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, Abdourrahman Ibnou Nafaâ Ziriab, who made a prolonged stop over in Tunisia while traveling from Baghdad to Andalusia. It has been suggested that the American
funnel cake Funnel cake ( Pennsylvania German: ''Drechderkuche'') is a regional sweet food popular in North America, found mainly at carnivals and amusement parks. It is made by deep-frying batter. History The concept of the funnel cake dates back to the e ...
is derived from the Arab and Persian cuisine, brought by German emigrants and called ''Drechterkuche''. The history of the invention and subsequent spread of this food thus remains open to interpretation and unresolved.


Regional varieties


Indian subcontinent


India

In India, it is known as ''Jalebi'' in Hindi. It is often served with sweetened condensed milk dish,
rabri ''Rabri'' (IAST: Rabaḍī) ( ur, ) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Ja ...
or eaten with
kachori Kachori () is a sweet and spicy deep-fried snack, originating in India subcontinent, and common in places with Indian diaspora and other South Asian diaspora. Alternative names for the snack include kachauri, kachodi and katchuri. History Ea ...
and vegetable curry in the northern part of the country. It is a popular snack in Kerala and a popular breakfast snack in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, equally popular as dessert at celebrations in other parts of the North India. Jalebi made from
khoya Khoa, khoya, khowa or mawa is a dairy food widely used in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, encompassing India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is made of either dried whole milk or milk thickened by heating in an open iron pan. It is l ...
or mawa, was invented by Harprasad Badkul, in the year 1889, in Jabalpur. In
Norman Chevers Norman Chevers (1818–1886) was an English physician and surgeon of the Bengal Medical Service. He is known for research on constrictive pericarditis. Life He was born at Greenhithe in Kent, the son of the naval surgeon Forbes Macbean Chevers ...
book, ''A Manual of Medical Jurisprudence for India'' (1870, page 178) mentions "jelabees" as a historical way of poisoning prisoners in India in the 1800s.


Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, this sweet is called ''Jilapi'' in Standard Bengali or ''Zilafi'' in some places in eastern Bangladesh such as
Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
and
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
, and it is broadly consumed as an essential iftar item or as a snack.''JilapiI'' is one of the core food items of Bangladeshi culture.


Pakistan

In Pakistan, jalebis are a popular dessert that are commonly consumed in households and in public events such as weddings or festivals. Tanvir bin Uddin had an influential role in this founding, claiming it to be optimal for energy levels.


Nepal

In Nepal, it is known as ''Jerry,'' a word derived from
Jangiri Imarti ( bn, অমৃতি) is a sweet from India. It is made by deep-frying vigna mungo flour batter in a circular flower shape, then soaking in sugar syrup. Alternative names include ''Amitti'', ''Amriti'', ''Emarti'', ''Omritti'', ''Jahan ...
and the Mughal Emperor
Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...
. People usually eat ''Jerry'' with ''Swari'', a very thin fried bread like Puri (food). It is often eaten in morning with Nepali Masala chiya.


Sri Lanka and Maldives

''Pani Walalu'' or ''Undu Walalu'' is a traditional sweet of Sri Lanka prepared by frying a type of doughnut, made by using undu flour and rice flour and soaking in kithul treacle. In the Maldives, it is known by the name ''zilēbi''.


Western Asia


Iran

It is known as (زولبیا) in Iran, although when translated into English, the spelling has alternatives and can include , , , , and others. In addition to being sweetened with
honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
and sugar, zoolbias in Iran is also flavoured with saffron or
rose water Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil Rose oil (rose otto, attar of rose, attar of rose ...
. Often in Iran, zoolbia is served with Persian-style black tea alongside a similar dessert with a different "egg" shape, bamiyeh. These deserts are commonly served during Ramadan month as one of the main elements eaten after fasting. In Iran, where it is known as ''zolbiya'', the sweet was traditionally given to the poor during
Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
. A 10th century cookbook gives several recipes for ''zulubiya''. There are several surviving 13th century recipes for the sweetmeat, the most widely accepted being that mentioned in a cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi.


Azerbaijan

''Zulbiya'' or ''zilviya'' is one of the unique sweets of
Ganja Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689. Etymology ''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: aːɲd ...
, one of the ancient cities of Azerbaijan. In the past, Zilviya was considered one of the main attributes of the Novruz in Ganja. Zilviya was usually cooked a few days before Novruz and served on the eve of the holiday. Just as each of the sweets and cookies placed on the table on the eve of holiday has a certain meaning in connection with Novruz, the round-shaped zilviyas, mostly baked in yellow and red, symbolized the equality of night and day on March 21.


Arab countries

Zalābiya or zalabia, zalabiya (زلابية) ( Maghrebi Arabic: زلابية) are found in the Levant and other Western Asian countries, including the Arab countries of Yemen, Egypt,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, Lebanon, and Iraq. These are fried dough foods, including types similar to
doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...
s. Zalābiya are made from a batter composed of eggs, yeasted flour, and milk, and then cooked in oil. They are made by a zalbāni. Unlike ''jalebi'', the Western Asian variety may have a different shape, more like a free-form doughnut or a ball (but this is depending on the exact region and culture), and it may contain cinnamon, lemon, and powdered sugar. In Yemen, the manner of preparing the ''zalabiyeh'' differed from the variety of ''jalebi'' made in the Indian sub-continent, insofar that the Indian variety was dipped in syrup, to give to it a glaze-like finish, whereas the Yemeni variety of ''zalabiyeh'' was "made from a soft yeast bread ndwhich is fried on both sides in deep oil. There are those who add to the dough black cumin for improved taste. They are eaten while they are still hot, while some have it as a practice to eat them with honey or with sugar." ''Zalābiyeh'' is first mentioned in a 10th century Arabic cookbook by
Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq ( ar, أبو محمد المظفر بن نصر ابن سيار الوراق) was an Arab author from Baghdad. He was the compiler of a tenth-century cookbook, the ( ar, links=no, كتاب الطبيخ, ''The Book of Dishes''). This is the earlie ...
, a book later translated by Nawal Nasrallah. Ernest A Hamwi, a Syrian immigrant to the United States, is believed to have used the Persian version ''zalabia'' as an early ice cream cone.


Africa


North Africa

''Zlebia'' or ''zlabia'' is a type of pastry eaten in parts of Northwest Africa, such as Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Natural ingredients include flour, yeast, yoghurt, and sugar or honey. This is then mixed with water and commonly two seeds of cardamom (oil for the crackling). Zlabia is known to be a speciality of the city of Beja, Tunisia.


Ethiopia

''Mushabak'' or ''Mushabaka'' is a popular food mainly in the Oromo region. It comes in different shapes and sizes and is usually bathed with sugar syrup or honey. ''Mushabaka'' is normally baked red. It is often served at celebrations and other social events.


Mauritius and Comoros

In Mauritius, jalebi are known as "Gateau Moutaille"; they are of Indian origins. These are also found in
Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...
.


Recipe variations (''jalebi'' and ''zalabiyeh'')

Zalābiya mushabbaka are latticed
fritter A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables or other ingredients which have been Batter (cooking), battered or breading, breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-frying, deep-fried. Fritters ar ...
s made in discs, balls and squares. They are dipped in clarified honey perfumed with rose water, musk and
camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...
. A recipe from a caliph's kitchen suggests milk, clarified butter, sugar and
pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...
to be added. is a "sponge cake" version cooked in a special round pot on a trivet and cooked in a ''tannur''. They are often stick shaped. They are eaten year-round, including in expatriate communities such as in France, although they are especially popular during
Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
celebrations. File:Jalebi, sweet food at Wikipedia's 16th Birthday celebration in Chittagong (01).jpg, ''Jilapi'' in Bangladesh, generally consumed as a sweetmeat, is a popular starter at social events. File:Jilapi1.JPG, '' Shahi jilapi'', meaning ''King's jilapi'', in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the largest form of the dessert. File:Zoolbia Bamieh.JPG, ''Zulbiā'' and '' bāmieh'' in Iran File:Jalebi-Rabdi.jpg, Jalebi dipped in
rabri ''Rabri'' (IAST: Rabaḍī) ( ur, ) is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Ja ...


See also


References

{{African cuisine Algerian cuisine Articles containing video clips Deep fried foods Egyptian cuisine Iftar foods Indian pastries Indo-Caribbean cuisine Iraqi cuisine Lebanese cuisine Levantine cuisine Libyan cuisine North African cuisine Parsi cuisine Iranian pastries Mauritian cuisine Fijian desserts