Muhallebi (, ) is a milk

pudding Pudding is a type of food which can either be a dessert served after the main meal or a Savoury (dish), savoury (salty or sweet, and spicy) dish, served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based des ...

commonly made with rice, sugar, milk and either rice flour, starch or semolina, popular as a

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...

in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. While the dessert is called muhallebi in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, in other countries in the region (

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

) it is called malabi, mahalabiyeh or mehalabiya.

History

Legend has it that ''muhallebi'' () was introduced into

Arab cuisine Arab cuisine collectively refers to the regional culinary traditions of the Arab world, consisting of the Maghreb (the west) and the Mashriq (the east). These cuisines are centuries-old and reflect the culture of trading in ingredients, spices, ...

in the late seventh century by a Persian (Iranian) cook from what was then the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

(224–651), who served it to an Arab general by the name of

Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra Abū Saʿīd al-Muhallab ibn Abī Ṣufra al-Azdī (; 702) was an Arab general from the Azd tribe who fought in the service of the Rashidun, Umayyad and Zubayrid caliphs between the mid-640s and his death. He served successive terms as the go ...

. He liked it so much, he named it after himself. The earliest recipes, dating to the 10th century, featured three versions:

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

thickened with ground rice, milk with rice grains and chicken, and an egg custard without rice. Early recipes for ''muhallabiyya'' include a work attributed to

Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq () was an Arab author from Baghdad. He was the compiler of a tenth-century cookbook, the (, ''The Book of Dishes''). This is the earliest known Arabic cookbook. It contains over 600 recipes, divided into 132 chapters. The is the oldest survivi ...

of Baghdad and two 13th-century Arab cookbooks, one by al-Baghdadi and another from

Al Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...

that have a spiced pudding variation made with

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

instead of chicken. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, ''muhallebi'' and its European counterpart ''

blancmange Blancmange (, from , ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream, and sugar, thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Chondrus crispus, Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured wit ...

'' were made with shredded chicken. There are records from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

for two versions of ''muhallebi'': a version with shredded chicken (''

tavuk göğsü Tavuk may refer to: * Tavuk şiş, chicken shish kebab * Tavuk göğsü Turkish shredded chicken milk pudding {{disambig ...

'') served during the reign of

Mehmed the Conqueror Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

, and a later recipe dating to 1530 for a meatless version flavored with

rose water Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cu ...

. One 19th-century, English cookbook that gives a recipe for ''muhallebi'' calls it "Ramazan cakes". The recipe calls for boiling milk together with

rice flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...

and sugar until the mixture reduces. The pudding is flavored with rose or jasmine extract, and allowed to cool before it is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Variations

In the modern era the traditional ''tavuk göğsü'' is no longer widely available, except in

. This pudding does not taste like chicken but the shredded meat gives it a distinctive texture. George Coleman De Kay said the pudding "owes its peculiar excellent flavour to the presence of the breasts of very young chickens, which are by some means so intimately blended and incorporated with the custard as to be scarcely distinguishable". ''

Kazandibi Kazandibi or kazan dibi (, lit. 'bottom of kazan or cauldron') is a Turkish dessert and a type of caramelized milk pudding. It was developed in the kitchens of the Ottoman Palace and is one of the most popular Turkish desserts today. It is trad ...

'' is the variation of classic ''tavuk göğsü'' where a thin layer of pudding is caramelized before the custard is poured over it and allowed to set. The finished pudding is served upside down with the caramelized side on top. Also available at the ''muhallebici'' shops of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

are the almond based ''

keşkül Keşkül () is an almond-based milk pudding from Turkish cuisine. Usually served in a bowl and eaten with a spoon, it is often garnished with coconut shaving or pistachio nuts and is off-white in colour. Etymology The dish's name is derived fro ...

'',

Noah's Pudding Ashure, Anoushabour, Noah's pudding or Trigo koço is a sweet pudding that is made of a mixture consisting of various types of grains, fresh and dried fruits, and nuts. Armenians make it as a Christmas pudding and for New Year's celebrations ...

, and baked rice pudding called "''fırın sütlaç''" or "''fırında sütlaç''". In

, there is a variation of ("''mahalayeh''") called ("''balouza''") that is the classic milk pudding but with a layer of orange jelly on top. Other flavours of the jelly layer can be used, like rose syrup. ''Mahalayeh'' sold in restaurants in Syria is always served with three striped toppings of slivered almonds, cream, sliced pistachios, and a

maraschino cherry A maraschino cherry ( ) is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually ...

. The famous ''

booza ''Booza'' () is a frozen dairy dessert originally from the Levant made with milk, cream, sugar, mastic and '' sahlab'' (orchid flour), giving it its distinguished stretchy and chewy texture—much like dondurma. It has since spread throughout ...

'' shop, Bakdash, in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, serves ''mahalayeh'' as well as ''booza''. Syrian Mahalayeh

, in order to avoid violating

Kashrut (also or , ) is a set of Food and drink prohibitions, dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to halakha, Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed ko ...

(Jewish dietary laws), variations of ''malabi'' () use almond milk instead of regular milk, especially when offered in conjunction with meat dishes. Mahalabia

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, ''muhallebi'' is called " ( in

Cypriot Greek Cypriot Greek (, or ) is the variety of Modern Greek that is spoken by the majority of the Cypriot populace and Greek Cypriot diaspora. It is considered a divergent dialect as it differs from Standard Modern Greek in various aspects of its ...

)" and it can also be found in a non-dairy version alongside the version that contains milk (; ). The Cypriot non-dairy ''muhallebi'' is made from water, sugar, cornstarch, and

, which is optional. When the ''muhallebi'' is set,

Cypriots The people of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many cultural traits but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with Greece a ...

add rose squash/cordial/syrup called "triantafyllo" () on top of it. Mastic can be used as a flavoring for ''muhallebi''.

Culinary traditions

In some

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

homes, ''malabi'', made of milk, cream, starch and sugar and flavoured with either distilled

rosewater Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cul ...

orange flower water Orange flower Orange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear aromatic by-product of the distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms for their essential oil. Uses This essential water has traditionally been used as an aromatizer i ...

, is served to break the fast on the Jewish holiday of

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

. It is also eaten at Turkish Jewish weddings to symbolize the sweet life that lies ahead. Sephardim serve it on the festival of

Shavuot (, from ), or (, in some Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi usage), is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday, one of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; in the 21st century, it may ...

when it is customary to eat dairy food, but according to food historian Gil Marks, the real reason is that the holiday is known in this community as the "feast of roses" and the dessert has a distinct rosy aroma.

Use in desserts

''Muhallebi'' is used as a component of many traditional style desserts. ''Selanik tatlısı'', attributed to the kitchens of historic

Salonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

, is made by thickening a basic stovetop muhallebi with eggs and baking it with a sweetened

shortcrust Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. A ...

pastry. The dessert is soaked in simple syrup before serving. Also hailing from historic Salonica is ''muhallebi''

baklava Baklava (, or ; ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. There are several theories for the origin of th ...

(similar to the Greek ''

galaktoboureko Galaktoboureko (, , , , ) is a dessert popular in the Balkans, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe ...

'').

References

{{Cuisine of Turkey, state=collapsed Iranian desserts Levantine cuisine Turkish puddings Cypriot cuisine Egyptian cuisine Lebanese cuisine Algerian cuisine Kurdish cuisine Saudi Arabian desserts Lebanese desserts Israeli desserts North African cuisine Ottoman cuisine Milk desserts Sephardi Jewish cuisine Arab desserts Dessert containing meat

History

Variations

Culinary traditions

Use in desserts

See also

References