All the Middle Eastern dishes you need to celebrate Aladdin’s premiere
By Louis Skye
Naomi Scott is Jasmine in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN.
Desserts
For anyone with a sweet-tooth, an Aladdin celebration is going to give you so many cavities. There is no end to the number of desserts available in the Middle East, and each one is more delectable than the last!
One of the most famous Middle Eastern desserts is Umm Ali (which means Mother of Ali; how apt!). It is an extremely heavy dessert made with phyllo pastry, cream, and nuts. Practically a meal unto itself.
A dessert that should be far more popular than it is, is the kunafeh. A kind of cheesecake, the kunafeh is distinguished by its crunchy exterior that complements the gooey interior perfectly. And the sweetness will make your lips pucker like a camel’s.
Another dessert that needs to get on people’s radar is Loqaimat. Deep fried dough balls drenched in sugar syrup, Loqaimat is lighter than you expect and is a popular finger food in the Middle East.
You can’t not have baklava in honour of Aladdin. The crunchy phyllo pastry dessert is sweetness incarnate, dripping with sugar syrup or honey. You will never stop at just one.
And while you’re having the baklava, you may as well reach for the halva, a sesame seed confectionery that is soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Which Middle Eastern dish would you eat with Aladdin and Jasmine?