Künefe: Turkey's Hot Cheese Dessert in Shredded Wheat and Why It's Unlike Anything Else

Hatay, in southern Turkey on the Syrian border, has a food culture that reflects its history at the crossroads of the Levant — and its most famous export is künefe. The Hatay version is the standard, though variants of shredded wheat and cheese desserts exist across the Middle East (knafeh in Arabic, kadayıf in Turkish as the shredded pastry).

What makes the Hatay version distinctive is the cheese. Hatay peyniri — a low-salt, semi-stretched white cheese made specifically for cooking — melts into long, gooey, pizza-like strings. When you pull the freshly baked künefe apart, the cheese stretches across inches before breaking. This is the visual and textural centerpiece of the experience.

The Cheese

Hatay peyniri is the essential ingredient, and it's the hardest to source outside Turkey. It is a fresh white cheese with low salt content and high moisture — it melts smoothly and stretches long. Outside Hatay, unsalted (or very low-salt) fresh mozzarella is the most practical substitute. If mozzarella is used, it should be fresh mozzarella, not processed or part-skim, and it needs to be sliced or torn and dried slightly before use.

The key: very low salt content. Turkish künefe cheese is nearly unsalted because the dessert is sweet — salt disrupts the balance. If using mozzarella, rinse it and blot dry to remove excess moisture.

Other substitutes used: Fresh akkawi cheese (if low-salt variety available), ricotta mixed with mozzarella for body.

The Shredded Phyllo (Kadaif/Kataifi)

Kadaif (also spelled kataifi) is shredded phyllo dough — very thin, almost noodle-like strands of phyllo pastry. It is sold fresh or frozen at Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Greek grocery stores. When brushed with butter and baked or fried, it becomes crispy and golden.

For künefe, the kadaif is pressed into a layer in the pan, topped with cheese, then covered with another layer of kadaif — creating a cheese-sandwich structure. The whole pan is cooked in clarified butter until the outside is golden and the cheese melts.

The Cooking Method

Künefe is traditionally cooked in a small copper pan (around 14–16cm diameter, sized for one or two servings) that conducts heat evenly. The pan goes directly on the stovetop.

The cooking is two-stage:

1. Cook on one side over medium heat until the bottom is golden and crisp
2. Flip the whole pan (onto a plate, then back in) to cook the other side

The flip is the technique — the unstable shredded wheat structure needs to maintain itself. Use a plate slightly larger than the pan as a flip surface.

After both sides are golden, sugar syrup (a simple syrup, usually scented with lemon or occasionally rosewater) is poured over while the künefe is still hot — it absorbs into the pastry and the cheese. Crushed pistachios are scattered over the top.

Critical: Künefe must be eaten immediately. As it cools, the cheese re-solidifies and the magic is gone.

---

Recipe: Künefe (Serves 2, two 14cm pans)

Ingredients:

• 200g kadaif (kataifi) shredded phyllo, thawed if frozen
• 150g künefe cheese or fresh mozzarella (very low salt), torn into pieces
• 80g clarified butter (or ghee), melted
• Crushed raw pistachio for garnish

Simple syrup:

• 200g sugar
• 150ml water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rose water (optional)

Method:

1. Syrup: Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; add rose water if using. Set aside to cool.

2. Prepare kadaif: Pull apart and loosen the shredded phyllo strands. Drizzle melted butter over and toss thoroughly with your hands until all strands are coated.

3. Assemble: Divide the kadaif into 4 portions. Press one portion firmly into the bottom of each pan, covering the base in an even layer about 1.5cm thick. Distribute the cheese over the kadaif layer in each pan. Press the remaining kadaif portions on top, covering the cheese completely and pressing firmly.

4. Cooking: Place over medium heat. Cook 5–7 minutes until the bottom layer is golden brown. Check by lifting an edge with a spatula.

5. Flip: Place a flat plate over the pan. Holding both pan and plate firmly, flip quickly so the künefe falls onto the plate (bottom facing up). Slide back into the pan from the plate (now uncooked side faces down). Cook another 5–7 minutes until this side is also golden.

6. Syrup and serve: While still in the pan on the heat, pour cold syrup generously over the hot künefe — it will sizzle and absorb. Invert onto a serving plate immediately. Scatter crushed pistachios generously.

7. Serve at once — do not let it sit.