Manakish Explained

Manakish (apc|[[wikt:مناقيش|مناقيش]]|manāʾīš; singular man'ousheh) is a popular Levantine pastry,^[1] consisting of dough topped with za'atar (apc|label=none|مناقيش بزعتر|manāʾīš bi-zaʿtar), cheese (apc|label=none|مناقيش بجبنة|manāʾīš bi-jibne), or ground meat. It can be sliced or folded, and it can be served either for breakfast or lunch.^[2]

Traditionally, women would bake dough in a communal oven in the morning to meet their family's daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast at this time.^[3] Saj and taboon are also common traditional cooking instruments for manakish.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Manakish are popular across the Levant,^{[7] [8]} and can also be found in neighboring regions, and centers of Levantine emigration.

In 2023, manakish was inscribed to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as an emblematic culinary practice in Lebanon.^{[9] [10]}

Etymology

In standard Arabic, the word manāqīš is the plural of the word manqūšah, from the root verb naqaša (Arabic: [[wikt:نقش|نقش]]), 'to sculpt, 'to carve out' or 'to engrave'; meaning that after the dough has been rolled flat, it is pressed by the fingertips to create little dips for the topping to lie in.^[11] Syrian historian Khayr al-Din al-Asadi associated the word manaqish with Beirut.^[12]

Classic toppings

• Za'atar (ar|زَعْتَر|zaʿtar|thyme|label=none). The most popular form of manakish uses za'atar (ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, salt, and other spices such as sumac) as a topping.^[13] The za'atar is mixed with olive oil and spread onto the dough before being baked in the oven. Za'atar manakish is a breakfast favorite in Levantine cuisine.^{[14] [15]} It is also served as part of a mezze, or as a snack with a glass of mint tea and feta cheese on the side.^[14]
• Cheese (ar|جُبْنَة|jibne|label=none). popular types of cheese used on manakish include: akkawi (ar|label=none|عَكَّاوي|ʿakkawī) and kashkaval (ar|label=none|قَشْقَوَان|ʾašʾawān). Za'atar is occasionally added to cheese manakish to enhance its flavor.
• Lahmacun (ar|لحم بعجين|laḥm bi-ʿajīn|lit=meat with dough|label=none), also called sfiha (apc|صفيحة|ṣfīḥa|label=none). Manakish topped with minced lamb are served for lunch due to their heavier contents. The minced lamb is mixed with tiny pieces of diced tomato and oil, and the manakish is optionally served with ground pepper or pickles and yogurt.
• Chili (ar|فليفلة|fulayfila|label=none, or ar|فلفل حر|filfil ḥarr|label=none), or shatta sauce and onions, popular in the Gaza Strip.^[16]
• Kashk (Arabic: كشك|). This is a mixture of fermented drained or dried yogurt and finely ground wheat that can be used by itself or in combination with other toppings, such as walnuts or onions, spread onto the bread.^[17]
• Spinach (apc|سبانخ|sbāniḫ|label=none),^[18] chard (ar|سلق|silq|label=none).
• Eggs

Sometimes the bread has a ridge to prevent spilling, sometimes combined with cheese;^{[19] [20]} this may be called ikras beid or kras beid (apc|اقراص بيض|iʾrāṣ bēḍ|egg discs|label=none) in Jerusalem, where sujuk is a common traditional topping for egg manaqish.^{[21] [22] [23]}

See also

• Feteer meshaltet
• Focaccia
• Khachapuri
• Lahmacun
• Musakhan
• Matnakash, a flat bread from Armenia. While the word may be related to manakish, matnakash is plain (no topping).
• Pita
• Pizza
• Iranian pizza
• Quesadilla
• Al-Maltout

Notes and References

1. News: Michael. Specter. 2019-05-09. The Eternal Magic of Beirut. The New York Times. 2 May 2016. 0362-4331. NYTimes.com.
2. Web site: Segura . John . Manakish: The Lebanese Flatbread You Need To Try At Least Once . . 19 October 2025 . 21 July 2023.
3. Book: 107. Arabian Delights: Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula. Amy. Riolo. Illustrated. Capital Books. 2007. 9781933102559.
4. News: Cook this: Flatbreads with za'atar from Zaitoun . 25 September 2025 . National Post . 4 Apr 2019.
5. News: Lebanese Festival celebrates culture and cuisine over Memorial Day weekend . 25 September 2025 . San Diego Union-Tribune . 21 May 2025.
6. News: Beirut Saj: Lebanon Comes to Tbilisi . 25 September 2025 . Culinary Backstreets . 27 Mar 2023.
7. Web site: 2019-05-09. Tayba: Bite-size savory delicacies. 25 March 2014. Arab News.
8. Book: John. Irving. Terra Madre: 1,600 Food Communities. Slow Food Editore. 2006 . 9788884991188. Google Books.
9. Web site: UNESCO - Al-Man'ouché, an emblematic culinary practice in Lebanon . 2023-12-27 . ich.unesco.org . en.
10. Web site: Tusing . David . Manakish nominated to be added to Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list . 2025-08-16 . The National . en.
11. Book: Massaad, Barbara Abdeni . Man'oushé : inside the Lebanese street corner bakery. 19 November 2019. 978-1-62371-932-6. First American . Northampton, Massachusetts. 1148154883.
12. Book: Khayr al-Din al-Asadi . Khayr al-Din al-Asadi . موسوعة حلب المقارنة . 1981 . 2624 . 12 Feb 2026 . Arabic . Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo.
13. Book: Bender, David. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Oxford University Press. 2009. 9780199234875.
14. Book: Little foods of the Mediterranean: 500 fabulous recipes for antipasti, tapas, hors d'oeuvre, meze, and more. 310. Clifford A.. Wright. Illustrated. Harvard Common Press. 2003. 9781558322271.
15. Book: Syria & Lebanon. registration. manaeesh.. 68. Terry. Carter. Lara. Dunston. Andrew. Humphreys. 2nd, illustrated. Lonely Planet. 2004. 9781864503333.
16. Book: El-Haddad . Laila M. . Schmitt . Maggie . Laila_el-Haddad . The Gaza kitchen: a Palestinian culinary journey . 2016 . Just World Books . Charlottesville, Virginia . 978-1-68257-008-1 . 28 . Second . 24 May 2025 . en.
17. Moraba. Kareh. 2016. The Story of Kashk. Gastronomica. 16. 4. 97–100. 10.1525/gfc.2016.16.4.97. 26362399. subscription.
18. News: منقوشة . 12 February 2026 . The New Arab . 2020 . ar . Manqousheh.
19. Web site: Jonze . Tim . Manousheh: the Lebanese breakfast pizza that stole my heart . The Guardian . 16 May 2025 . 8 August 2018.
20. Web site: The Lebanese Bakery and Kitchen: Magic, Marhaba & Manakish – Food & Home Magazine . www.foodandhome.co.za . 16 May 2025.
21. Web site: مذاق حياة فلسطين.. طاه مقدسي يعرف السياح على بلاده من خلال الطعام . Al-Araby . 16 May 2025.
22. News: Jerusalem chef gives tourists a Palestinian taste of life in the Old City . 24 June 2025 . Reuters . 22 Dec 2022.
23. News: Kassis . Reem . 17 January 2023 . Hummus, Tahini and Other Tastes of Home in Jerusalem's Old City . live . https://archive.today/20230118013302/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/17/travel/palestinian-food-jerusalem-old-city.html . 2023-01-18 . 15 Feb 2026 . . en-US . 0362-4331.