Fatteh Explained

فتّة / Fatteh / Fetté
Country:Middle East
Course:Breakfast[1] or Main
Served:Warm
Main Ingredient:Flatbread, yogurt, chickpeas, oil

Fatteh (ar|فتّة meaning crushed or crumbs, also romanized as fette, fetté, fatta or fattah)[2] is a dish eaten in the Arab world consisting of pieces of fresh, toasted, grilled, or fried flatbread covered with other ingredients that vary according to region. It is also some times referred to as shâmiyât (ar|شاميات "Damascene")[3] in the Levant area.

Mixing stale, toasted or fresh bread into food is a common technique in Arab cuisine.[4]

Preparation

Fatteh was traditionally used as a way to make use of stale bread, as well as bulk dishes in the absence of other foods. Generally, a layer of bread is crumbled bread is placed at the bottom, topped with layers of other foods.[5] The bread may or may not be toasted.

Etymology

Fatteh is derived from Arabic (Arabic: فتة), which is derived from the Arabic root f-t-t (Arabic: فتت) meaning to "tear" or "break apart".[6] [7]

History

It is a common belief that fatteh dates back to Pharonic Egypt.[8] Tharid, a dish said to be a favorite of Prophet Mohammed, is considered by some to be a fatteh dish.

Similar dishes to fatteh were mentioned in the 10th century Arabic cookbook by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq.[9] [10] Fatteh was a popular dish in the Fatimid Caliphate during the 10-12th centuries.

Regional variations

Fatteh is an ancient dish found in the Mashriq region of the Arab world as well as Egypt.[11] Fetté dishes include a wide variety of regional and local variations, some of which also have their own distinct names.

Yemen

Many variations of fatteh can be found in Yemeni cuisine, this includes both sweet and savory versions.[12] [13] Fattah Tammer (ar|فتة تمر) is a sweet version made with honey and date palm.[14] [13] [12]

Another name for fatta in Yemen is fatoot or ftut (ar|فتوت).[15] Variations of fatta called ftout and fatoot samneh are popular among Yemenite Jews, and are still made in Yemen today.[16]

Arabian Gulf

In Eastern Arabian cuisine, tharid is a popular fatteh dish, its made with meat, vegetables, and broth.[17] [18]

Egypt

Egyptians prepare a dish called "fatta" as a feast meal. It is prepared on special occasions, such as to celebrate a woman's first pregnancy or for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It is made with a garlic and vinegar flavored meat soup and crispy flatbread served in a bowl with rice and a sauce consisting of garlic tomato sauce.[19] Coptic christians prepare this fatteh on Christmas.[20] [21]

(Arabic: فتة كوارع) is a fatteh traditionally prepared on Eid al-Adha in Egypt with feet of the animal slaughtered for the holiday.[22] [23]

Morocco

Moroccan rfissa can be considered is a variety of fatteh; its base is of crumbled thin bread that is soaked in broth.[24] [25]

Iraq

Tashrib (ar|تشريب) is an Iraqi variety of fatteh, made with bread soaked in broth and topped with red meat or chicken.[26]

Levant

Many variations of fatteh exist in the Levant region,[27] one of the most common variations is Fattet Hummus, which itself has its own regional variations across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, its main ingredients are bread, chickpeas, and tahini. Nuts, ground meat, as well as many other toppings can be added for garnish.[28] Fatteh is also known as tis'iyyeh (ar|تسقية) in the Levant.

Another popular Levantine variation is fattet betinjen (ar|فتة باذنجان), which is made with fried or roasted eggplants, other common additions include yogurt and meat.[29] [30]

Fatit 'ajir is a fatteh popular in southern Gaza, roasted unripe watermelon with unleavened bread and chopped vegetables.[31] [32] A similar dish can be found in the northern parts of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.[33] [34]

Lebanon

Lebanese fatteh traditionally includes chicken and yogurt, with regional varieties within Lebanon itself.[35] [36]

Syria

The Levantine "fetté", eaten in breakfasts as well as in the evenings, always starts with a stack of khubz bread, topped by strained yogurt, steamed chickpeas and olive oil that are crushed and mixed together. In the next step, a teaspoon of cumin is almost always poured into the mixture. After that, virtually anything can be added to the bowl. Some fettés are made of eggplants and julienned carrots topped with grilled chicken and pine nuts while some contain lamb shanks, different spices and yogurt.[37] The fattoush is a salad made with toasted pieces of pita bread that technically also falls into the family of "shâmiyât".

There is Fatteh with oil, fatteh with ghee, fatteh with yogurt, and other types of fatteh that are famous in different regions of Syria. Fatteh with oil is prepared by cutting toasted or dried bread and placing it in a deep glass bowl. Fattet makdous is a fatteh made with makdous (pickled stuffed eggplants) that is popular in Aleppo and Damascus.[38] [39] [40]

Palestine

"Fetté gazzewié" from Gaza is served as plain rice cooked in meat or chicken broth and then flavored with mild spices, particularly cinnamon. The rice is then laid over a thin markook bread which is in turn smothered in clarified butter and topped with various meats.[41] Some versions of Musakhan are fetté dishes.

Jordan

Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan, can be considered a fatteh dish, it is made with rice, meat, a fermented-yoghurt called jameed, and shredded saj bread.[42]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Salamandra, 2004, p. 97
  2. Patai, 1998, p. 98.
  3. Wright, 2003, p. 117.
  4. Book: Davidson . Alan . Alan Davidson . The Oxford Companion to Food . 21 August 2014 . OUP Oxford . 978-0-19-104072-6 . 33,415,818 . 26 February 2026 . en.
  5. Book: Tamimi . Sami . Wigley . Tara . Falastin: A Cookbook . 16 June 2020 . Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed . 978-0-399-58174-8 . 523-533 . 21 January 2026 . en.
  6. News: Kassis . Reem . Reem Kassis . How to Make Leftovers Feel Like a Feast . 15 September 2025 . The New York Times . 12 May 2025.
  7. News: تعريف و شرح و معنى فتة بالعربي في معاجم اللغة العربية . 15 September 2025 . . en.
  8. News: 'Eid has no joy without it': How to make Egyptian fattah . 19 November 2025 . Middle East Eye . 10 Aug 2019 . en.
  9. Book: al-Warrāq . al-Muẓaffar Ibn Naṣr Ibn Sayyār . Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens . 26 November 2007 . BRILL . 978-90-04-15867-2 . 19 Nov 2025 . en . Nawal . Nasrallah . Nawal Nasrallah . 239.
  10. Web site: Nasrallah . Nawal . Salad With Toasted Pita Croutons from Delights from the Garden of Eden by Nawal Nasrallah . app.ckbk.com . 19 Nov 2025 . en.
  11. News: Fox . Tessa . Fatteh: a layered dish of bread and yoghurt . 15 September 2025 . BBC . 20 April 2023.
  12. News: من الشفوت إلى بنت الصحن... أكلات يمنية في رمضان . 15 September 2025 . The New Arab . 25 May 2018 . From shafut to the bint as-sahn... Yemeni dishes in Ramadan.
  13. News: اكتشف "المخبازه" أشهر المأكولات اليمنية الشعبية في عدن . 15 September 2025 . CNN Arabic . 23 June 2019 . ar . Discover "Al-Makhbaza", the most famous Yemeni popular food in Aden..
  14. News: Jones . John . We tried the Grangetown restaurant serving the best Yemeni food in Cardiff . 15 September 2025 . Wales Online . 10 March 2022 . en.
  15. Book: Marks, Gil . Encyclopedia of Jewish Food . Gil Marks . 609-613 . 2010 . . 978-0-470-39130-3 .
  16. News: Guttman . Vered Guttman . Got Leftover Chicken Soup? Make Yemenite Ftout . 15 September 2025 . . 21 February 2025 . en.
  17. News: Mims . Ben . Middle Eastern flatbreads star in Ramadan dishes and beyond . 15 September 2025 . Los Angeles Times . 11 April 2021.
  18. Web site: Helou . Anissa . Anissa Helou . Tharid (Arabian Meat and Vegetable Stew Over Crispy Bread) . Los Angeles Times . 15 September 2025 . 9 April 2021.
  19. News: 'Eid has no joy without it': How to make Egyptian fattah . 15 September 2025 . Middle East Eye . 10 Aug 2019 . en.
  20. Web site: Fattah Is the Most Delicious Centerpiece of Egyptian Orthodox Christmas . . 1 February 2026 . en.
  21. News: «محشي وبط وفتة باللحمة».. مائدة المسيحيين في عيد الميلاد . 1 February 2026 . . 6 Jan 2021 . ar . "Stuffed vegetables, duck, and meat-filled fatteh": The Christian Christmas table.
  22. News: طريقة عمل فتة الكوارع . 28 December 2025 . . 3 September 2017 . ar . How to make cow's foot fatteh.
  23. News: طريقة عمل فتة الكوراع فى عيد الأضحى . 28 December 2025 . . 17 July 2021 . ar-eg . How to make cow's foot stew for Eid al-Adha.
  24. News: الفتة في المطبخ العربي.. 10 نكهات مختلفة لطبق واحد من القاهرة إلى دمشق . 9 February 2026 . . 7 June 2025 . ar . Fatteh in Arab cuisine: 10 different flavors for one dish, from Cairo to Damascus.
  25. News: فن طهى الفتة.. نكهات متنوعة على موائد الدول العربية . 9 February 2026 . . 15 June 2024 . ar . The art of cooking Fatteh: diverse flavors on the tables of Arab countries.
  26. News: طريقة عمل التشريب العراقي . 26 February 2026 . Assawsana Jordanian Newspaper . ar-JO . How to make Iraqi Tashreeb.
  27. Web site: Kassis . Reem . Reem Kassis . The 1,001 Faces of Fatteh—and How to Make This Iconic Arab Dish at Home . . 15 September 2025 . en . 4 August 2025.
  28. Web site: Kassis . Reem . This Classic Middle Eastern Recipe Turns Hummus Into a Celebratory Meal . Serious Eats . 15 September 2025 . en.
  29. News: Ding . Ann . Breakfast with Sharon Salloum: eggplant fatteh (fattet betinjen) – recipe . 15 September 2025 . The Guardian . 22 October 2021.
  30. News: سهلة ولا تحتاج إلى أكثر من نصف ساعة.. طريقة عمل "فتة الباذنجان باللبن والطحينة" الشهية . 15 September 2025 . . 5 October 2023 . Easy and quick to prepare with simple ingredients... How to make delicious "Eggplant Fatteh with Yogurt and Tahini".
  31. Web site: Connor . Jackson . Why Watermelons Are a Symbol of Political Protest for Palestinians . Vice . 27 October 2025.
  32. News: Gaza Strip's Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy . 27 November 2025 . AP News . 31 May 2023 . en.
  33. News: صور.. للبطيخ استخدامات أخرى فقط بشمال سيناء.. بيعه غير الناضج لاستخدامه فى الطبخ والفتة.. الأهالى يلقبونه بـ"العجر والشوى" ويعد وجبة الموسم.. يكتمل طعمه بالزيت والفلفل.. والتجار يجلبونه لزيادة الطلب على شرائه . 27 November 2025 . . 9 June 2018 . ar . Photos show that watermelon has other uses only in North Sinai. It's sold unripe for use in cooking and fatta (a traditional Egyptian dish). Locals call it "al-ajr wa al-shawi" (the unripe and grilled one) and it's considered the meal of the season. Its flavor is enhanced with oil and pepper. Traders bring it in to meet the increased demand..
  34. News: تعرف على "فتة العجر" وجبة أهل سيناء المتوارثة من البطيخ والخبز المشوى في الجمر . 27 November 2025 . . 10 July 2023 . ar . Discover "Fatteh Al-Ajar," a traditional Sinai dish made with watermelon and bread grilled over embers..
  35. News: فتة الدجاج اللبنانية ومكونات غنيه تعطى شعور بالرفاهية . 1 February 2026 . . 25 July 2020 . Arabic . Lebanese chicken fatteh with rich ingredients that give a feeling of luxury.
  36. News: طريقة عمل الفتة اللبنانية باللحم وبالدجاج . 1 February 2026 . . 13 December 2019 . ar . How to make Lebanese Fatteh with meat and chicken.
  37. Web site: 2019-12-10 . Fatteh Traditional Breakfast From Lebanon TasteAtlas . 2025-05-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210001657/https://tasteatlas.com/fatteh . 10 December 2019 .
  38. News: How to make stuffed aubergines in tomato and yoghurt sauce . 27 November 2025 . Middle East Eye . 27 May 2019 . en.
  39. News: هل جرّبتم من قبل تناول فتة المكدوس الشهية؟ إليكم طريقة تحضيرها . 27 November 2025 . عربي بوست — ArabicPost.net . 23 October 2019 . ar . Have you ever tried the delicious Makdous Fatteh? Here's how to prepare it..
  40. News: في اليوم العالمي للفتة، لنتعرف معًا على تاريخ هذه الأكلة في العالم العربي . VICE . 19 March 2020 . ar . On World Fatteh Day, let's learn together about the history of this dish in the Arab world..
  41. http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1726&ed=115&edid=115 The Foods of Gaza
  42. News: For Many Members of the Arab American Diaspora, Mansaf Offers a Taste of Home . 15 September 2025 . The New York Times Style Magazine . 11 Nov 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fatteh".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2026, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.