Jachnun facts for kids
Jahnun served with oven-baked egg, fresh grated tomato and zhug
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| Type | Pastry, bread |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Aden, Yemen |
| Region or state | Yemen |
| Created by | Yemenite Jewish descendants of expelled Sephardi Jews |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
Jachnun (pronounced jahkh-noon) is a special pastry that comes from the Yemenite Jews. It's a traditional food, especially popular in Israel today. People usually eat Jachnun on Saturday mornings, which is called Shabbat in the Jewish faith.
Contents
Making Jachnun: A Special Pastry
Jachnun is made from dough that is rolled out very thin. This thin dough is then brushed with a special kind of butter. Traditionally, this butter is called Samneh. It's a clarified butter, meaning it's been cooked to remove water and milk solids.
Ingredients for Jachnun
The Samneh butter used for Jachnun often has a spice called 'Hilbe' (fenugreek) added to it. Sometimes, a little honey is also mixed in. After the dough is brushed with the butter, it's rolled up into small logs.
How Jachnun is Cooked
Jachnun is cooked very slowly, usually overnight. This slow cooking happens on a special 'Shabbat hotplate' at a very low heat. The cooking starts on Friday, and the Jachnun is ready to eat on Saturday morning. This method follows Jewish customs, which do not allow cooking or turning on electricity during Shabbat.
The Jachnun pieces are baked or steamed in a pot with a lid. The lid helps to keep the moisture inside, so the pastry doesn't dry out or burn.
What Jachnun Tastes Like
This long cooking process turns the dough a dark, shiny amber color. It also gives Jachnun a deep, sweet, and slightly caramel-like taste. It's often served with a fresh grated tomato dip, which is like a tomato salsa. People also enjoy it with hard-boiled eggs and zhug, a spicy green sauce. The dough used for Jachnun is similar to the dough used for another dish called malawach.
The History of Jachnun
The idea of cooking food slowly to follow Shabbat rules is very old. One example is Cholent, a slow-cooked stew that started in ancient Israel. Jachnun and its cousin, malawach, likely came from Sephardic Jews. These were Jews who were forced to leave Spain and brought their cooking traditions to Yemen.
See also
In Spanish: Jachnun para niños
