When In Turkey: Künefe

This post is titled somewhat incorrectly, since künefe really isn't Turkish at all, it's Arab (Palestinian to be precise).  But Turkey was the first place I tried the crunchy, salty/sweet delight and therefore I will always associate the two.

If you've never encountered künefe before in either its Turkish or Arab contexts, it's a wonderful dessert made with thin strips of dough that are surround a mozzarella-like cheese (in that it's semi-hard and its texture becomes elastic when heated) and then cooked (ehem fried) in oil or butter.  According to Wikipedia, Arabs roll the dough strips around the cheese while Turks layer dough strips, cheese, and then dough strips again.  In the final minutes of preparation, a rose scented simple syrup is poured over the final product.

Künefe is an absurdly delicious combination of so many different flavors and textures.  If you've never tasted it, I suggest you run (not walk) to your nearest Turkish or Arab restaurant.