Kubaneh
Traditional Yemenite Sabbath-bread
Alternative nameskubani, kubneh, kubane
TypeBread
Place of originIsrael
Created byYemenite Jews
Main ingredientsFlour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, butter or margarine, vegetable oil

Kubaneh (Hebrew: כֻּבַּאנֶה) is a traditional Yemenite Jewish bread that is popular in Israel. Kubaneh is traditionally baked overnight to be served for Shabbat morning accompanied by haminados (eggs that are baked in their shells along with the bread), and resek agvaniyot (grated tomato).

History

Although a Jewish community existed in Yemen for thousands of years, only a very small community of Jews remains in Yemen today. Yemenite Jews traditionally made their kubaneh from either sorghum flour or cornmeal during the regular weekdays, but used wheat flour on Sabbath days and holidays.[1]

Some would add to the dough either sugar, honey or black cumin. Baking was done in a greased pot, tightly sealed, and left to cook overnight. The kubāneh was eaten the following day while it was still hot, and many of the diners have been known to ask for the qaʻeh – the hard and oily lower crust, known for its delicate taste. During the winter months, some were known to insert in the kubāneh the fatty-tail of sheep, or some other piece of meat, which was baked overnight along with the dough, and have thereby turned the kubāneh into an unforgettable delicacy; women after childbirth might be served such a kubāneh.[2][3]

Overview

Kubaneh is baked by Yemenite Jews overnight and eaten for breakfast or brunch on Shabbat,[4][5][6] and has become more broadly popular also. It is prepared baked at a low temperature in a tightly covered container. Ingredients include flour, sugar, salt, and butter (or margarine). Eggs in their shell can be cooked in the dish alongside the bread and served as an accompaniment. The bread is sometimes sprinkled with sugar, served with grated tomatoes,[6][7] or served with zhug, clarified butter, and hot pepper-garlic chutney.[5][7]

Kubaneh, freshly baked

In popular culture

Kubaneh was featured in the popular Israeli television series, The Beauty and the Baker, as the lead character Amos Dahari, played by Aviv Alush (who himself is of Yemenite and Tunisian Jewish descent) is from a Yemenite Jewish family.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rachel Yedid & Danny Bar-Maoz (ed.), Ascending the Palm Tree – An Anthology of the Yemenite Jewish Heritage, E'ele BeTamar: Rehovot 2018, p. 134 ISBN 978-965-7121-33-7
  2. ^ Avshalom Mizrachi, The Yemenite Cuisine, first published in Bat-Teman (Heb. "Daughter of Yemen"), edited by Shalom Seri, Tel-Aviv 1993, pp. 97–98 (Hebrew)
  3. ^ Yosef Qafih, Jewish Life in Sana, Ben-Zvi Institute: Jerusalem 1982, p. 210
  4. ^ Marks, Gil (2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Wiley. ISBN 9780470391303. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Shabbat Breakfast Bread (Kubaneh)". Food.com. December 21, 2004. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Rao, Tejal (22 June 2017). "Before Croissants, There Was Kubaneh, a Jewish Yemeni Delight". New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Kubaneh – Yemeni Jewish breakfast bread". Bread Cakes and Ale (a blog). Wordpress. 23 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
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