Semolina or farina cake soaked in simple syrup, it was invented in the 12-16 century
Basbousa |
| Alternative names | رواني, revani, namoura, haresh |
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| Type | Dessert |
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| Region or state | Egypt |
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| Serving temperature | Cold or warm |
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| Main ingredients | Semolina or farina, syrup |
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| Variations | Orange blossom syrup or rose |
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Basbousa (Arabic: بسبوسة basbūsah) is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that originated in Egypt,[1] and is also common in other countries. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan,[2] then sweetened with orange flower water, rose water or simple syrup, and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares. It is also found in most areas of the former Ottoman Empire,[3] and is featured in Middle Eastern cuisines, Greek cuisine, Azerbaijani cuisine, Turkish cuisine, Ethiopian cuisine, Yemeni cuisine and others.
Names
It is found in the cuisines of the Middle East, the Balkans and the North Africa under a variety of names.[4]
Basbousa is the dessert's Egyptian name and it is called the same in North Africa. It is often called "hareesa" in the Levant, and also the Egyptian city of Alexandria, though in other parts of Egypt hareesa is a different type of dessert. Also note that "haressa" in North Africa is a spicy red sauce. Basbousa is a popular dessert among all Egyptians; it is a main Egyptian dish in Eid and Ramadan, and for Christians when they are fasting, such for the Great Lent and Nativity, as it can be made vegan.
Vegan Basbousa (Egg replaced by apple sauce)
Variations
Pastūsha (sometimes stylized as pastūçha) is a variant of basbousa that originated in Kuwait in the 2010s.[5] Like basbousa, it is made from semolina soaked in sweet syrup. It is characterized by the addition of finely ground pistachios and orange flower water.
Basbousa bil ashta – a Levantine variation of basbousa filled with ashta cream in the middle.
Vegan Basbousa - Now in modern times, Basbusa is also available in vegan form using apple sauce to bind the base mix together instead of dairy and eggs.
