Kunafa
Crisp buttered kadayıf surrounding melting unsalted cheese, finished with syrup and pistachios.
The Turkish pantry
Cheese (unsalted künefe)
A fresh cooking cheese for künefe’s warm, stretchy center. Choose the unsalted form intended for this dessert.
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Registered Antakya Künefelik Peyniri is a cow-milk cheese with unsalted and salted forms. This guide means the unsalted form. The registered cheese is cooked inside künefe, not served uncooked as table cheese.
Types & forms
Fresh unsalted künefelik
The intended ingredient.
Salted kestane type
Needs its producer’s desalting instructions.
Frozen künefe cheese
Choose a product labeled for this purpose and thaw as instructed.
What to look for when buying
- Ask specifically for unsalted künefe cheese; check pasteurization, cooking requirements and chilled handling.
- Generic white cheese may be salty or fail to stretch; its name does not establish suitability.
Prepare & cook
- Drain surface liquid if directed, then cut or break into an even filling. Keep chilled until assembly.
- Cook inside the dessert according to the recipe and product instructions. Do not taste cooking-only cheese raw.
Store it well
- Keep at 40°F or below; observe the use-by date and opened-pack directions. Unsalted cheese is highly perishable; salted-cheese storage claims do not apply.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Salted künefelik
May work only after producer-directed desalting under refrigeration; do not invent a soaking time.
Other cheese
No generic cheese is an exact verified substitute. Choose a recipe developed for the cheese available.
Nutrition
No verified nutrition data is available for this ingredient.
At the Turkish table
The cheese has a documented connection to Antakya’s künefe tradition and registered products. This is a regional association, not an uncontested exclusive origin for the dessert.
Cook with Cheese (unsalted künefe)