{{short description|Levantine flatbread dish}} {{use dmy dates |date=August 2021}} {{Infobox food | name = Manakish | image = Zaatar Mankousheh.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Manakish made with za'atar with vegetables on the side | alternate_name = Manaqish, manaeesh, manakeesh (''plural'')<br/>manooshe, man'ousheh, mankousheh (''singular'') | country = Levant | region = Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine | creator = | associated_cuisine = Levantine | course = Breakfast or lunch | type = Flatbread | served = | main_ingredient = Dough, za'atar, cheese or ground meat | variations = | calories = | other = }} thumb|right|Za'atar bread '''Manakish''' ({{langx|apc|مناقيش|manāʾīš}}; singular '''man'ousheh'''{{snd}}{{Langx|apc|منقوشة|manʾūše|label=none}}) is a popular Levantine pastry,<ref name=":0">{{cite news|first1=Michael|last1=Specter|access-date=2019-05-09|title=The Eternal Magic of Beirut|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/t-magazine/travel-beirut-architecture-art-design.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=2 May 2016|issn=0362-4331|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> consisting of dough topped with za'atar ({{langx|apc|label=none|مناقيش بزعتر|manāʾīš bi-zaʿtar}}), cheese ({{langx|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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Segura |first1=John |title=Manakish: The Lebanese Flatbread You Need To Try At Least Once |url=https://www.thedailymeal.com/1343872/what-manakish-lebanese-flatbread/ |website=The Daily Meal |access-date=19 October 2025 |date=21 July 2023}}</ref>
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.<ref name=Riolo>{{cite book|page=107|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7IoaOFcJYAAC&q=manaqish&pg=PA107|title=Arabian Delights: Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula|first1=Amy|last1=Riolo|edition=Illustrated|publisher=Capital Books|year=2007|isbn=9781933102559}}</ref> ''Saj'' and ''taboon'' are also common traditional cooking instruments for manakish.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cook this: Flatbreads with za'atar from Zaitoun |url=https://nationalpost.com/life/food/cook-this-flatbreads-with-zaatar-from-zaitoun |access-date=25 September 2025 |work=National Post |date=4 Apr 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Lebanese Festival celebrates culture and cuisine over Memorial Day weekend |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/05/21/lebanese-festival-celebrates-culture-and-cuisine-over-memorial-day-weekend/ |access-date=25 September 2025 |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=21 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Beirut Saj: Lebanon Comes to Tbilisi |url=https://culinarybackstreets.com/stories/tbilisi/beirut-saj-lebanon-comes-to-tbilisi |access-date=25 September 2025 |work=Culinary Backstreets |date=27 Mar 2023}}</ref>
Manakish are popular across the Levant,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2019-05-09|title=Tayba: Bite-size savory delicacies|url=http://www.arabnews.com/news/545876|date=25 March 2014|website=Arab News}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=John|last1=Irving|title=Terra Madre: 1,600 Food Communities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jskiAQAAIAAJ&q=manakish|publisher=Slow Food Editore|date=2006 |isbn=9788884991188|via=Google Books}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UNESCO - Al-Man'ouché, an emblematic culinary practice in Lebanon |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/al-man-ouche-an-emblematic-culinary-practice-in-lebanon-02000 |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=ich.unesco.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tusing |first=David |title=Manakish nominated to be added to Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/2022/12/17/manakish-nominated-to-be-added-to-unescos-intangible-cultural-heritage-list/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref>
==Etymology== In standard Arabic, the word ''manāqīš'' is the plural of the word ''manqūšah'', from the root verb ''naqaša'' ({{lang|ar|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.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Massaad, Barbara Abdeni |title=Man'oushé : inside the Lebanese street corner bakery|date=19 November 2019|isbn=978-1-62371-932-6|edition=First American |location=Northampton, Massachusetts|oclc=1148154883}}</ref> Syrian historian Khayr al-Din al-Asadi associated the word ''manaqish'' with Beirut.<ref name="asadi">{{cite book |author1=Khayr al-Din al-Asadi |author1-link=Khayr al-Din al-Asadi |title=موسوعة حلب المقارنة |date=1981 |page=2624 |url=https://archive.org/details/20191220_20191220_1403/page/n2623/mode/2up |access-date=12 Feb 2026 |language=Arabic |trans-title=Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo}} </ref> The 'q' (qāf, {{lang|ar|ق}}) in ''manaqish'' is pronounced as a glottal stop by some speakers of Levantine Arabic, which is sometimes reflected in English as "mana'ish".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Uvezian |first1=Sonia |author1-link=Sonia Uvezian |title=Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan |date=2001 |publisher=Siamanto Press |isbn=978-0-9709716-8-5 |page=11 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Recipes_and_Remembrances_from_an_Eastern/E2sgAQAAMAAJ?gbpv=1&bsq=manaqish |access-date=9 March 2026 |language=en}}</ref>
==History==
According to food historian Gil Marks, topped flatbreads like manakish and lahmacun became common in the Levant following the popularization of "baker's ovens" (''furn'') where the dough is placed on a heated floor rather than being baked vertically like a tannur.<ref name="marks2010"> {{cite book |last1=Marks |first1=Gil |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |date=17 November 2010 |publisher=HMH |isbn=978-0-544-18631-6 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Jewish_Food/gFK_yx7Ps7cC |access-date=27 March 2026 |language=en |chapter=Lahmajin}} </ref>
German Orientalist Gustaf Dalman described manakish in his 1936 {{lang|de|Arbeit und Sitte in Palaestina}} ("Work and Customs in Palestine") as leavened or unleavened dough coated in oil and oregano which is baken in a tabun oven.<ref name="dalman1935">{{cite book |last1=Dalman |first1=Gustaf |title=Brot, Ol und Wein |date=1964 |publisher=G. Olms |page=137 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Brot_Ol_und_Wein/a0sJAQAAIAAJ |access-date=27 March 2026 |language=de |quote=manäkiS (Sing. manküS), kmäg, von gesäuertem oder ungesäuertem Teig, mit Öl und zerriebenem Dost (za'tar) bestrichen, im turn oder täbün mehrmals gebacken |trans-title=Bread, Oil and Wine}}</ref>
==Classic toppings== {{More citations needed|date=May 2023}}
thumb|Lebanese ''manaqish'' being cooked on a ''saj''
*Za'atar ({{langx|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.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bender|first=David|title=A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780199234875}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Wright>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3t2IJeFIh8C&q=manaqish&pg=PA310|page=310|title=Little foods of the Mediterranean: 500 fabulous recipes for antipasti, tapas, hors d'oeuvre, meze, and more|first1=Clifford A.|last1=Wright|edition=Illustrated|publisher=Harvard Common Press|year=2003|isbn=9781558322271}}</ref><ref name=Carterp68>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333|url-access=registration|quote=manaeesh.|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333/page/68 68]|title=Syria & Lebanon|first1=Terry|last1=Carter|first2=Lara|last2=Dunston|first3=Andrew|last3=Humphreys|edition=2nd, illustrated|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2004|isbn=9781864503333}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Wright/> *Cheese ({{langx|ar|جُبْنَة|jibne|label=none}}). popular types of cheese used on manakish include: akkawi ({{langx|ar|label=none|عَكَّاوي|ʿakkawī}})<ref name="theguardian" /> and kashkaval ({{langx|ar|label=none|قَشْقَوَان|ʾašʾawān}}).<ref name="newarab2020"/> Za'atar is occasionally added to cheese manakish to enhance its flavor. *Lahmacun ({{langx|ar|لحم بعجين|laḥm bi-ʿajīn|lit=meat with dough|label=none}}), also called ''sfiha'' ({{langx|apc|صفيحة|ṣfīḥa|label=none}}).<ref name="newarab2020" /> 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 ({{langx|ar|فليفلة|fulayfila|label=none}}, or {{langx|ar|فلفل حر|filfil ḥarr|label=none}}), or shatta sauce and onions, popular in the Gaza Strip.<ref name="gazakitchenbook">{{cite book |last1=El-Haddad |first1=Laila M. |last2=Schmitt |first2=Maggie |author1-link=Laila_el-Haddad |title=The Gaza kitchen: a Palestinian culinary journey |date=2016 |publisher=Just World Books |location=Charlottesville, Virginia |isbn=978-1-68257-008-1 |page=28 |edition=Second |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/nMy3jwEACAAJ |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}} </ref> *Kashk ({{lang|ar|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.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Moraba|first=Kareh|date=2016|title=The Story of Kashk|journal=Gastronomica|volume=16|issue=4|pages=97–100|doi=10.1525/gfc.2016.16.4.97|jstor=26362399|url=https://online.ucpress.edu/gastronomica/article-abstract/16/4/97/44999/The-Story-of-Kashk |url-access=subscription}}</ref> *Spinach ({{langx|apc|سبانخ|sbāniḫ|label=none}}),<ref name="newarab2020"> {{cite news |title=منقوشة |url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/%D9%85%D9%86%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%A9 |access-date=12 February 2026 |work=The New Arab |date=2020 |language=ar |trans-title=Manqousheh}} </ref> chard ({{langx|ar|سلق|silq|label=none}}). *Eggs: Sometimes the bread has a ridge to prevent spilling, sometimes combined with cheese;<ref name="theguardian">{{cite web |last1=Jonze |first1=Tim |title=Manousheh: the Lebanese breakfast pizza that stole my heart |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/08/manousheh-lebanese-flatbread-faddy-eater |website=The Guardian |access-date=16 May 2025 |date=8 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="fandh">{{cite web |title=The Lebanese Bakery and Kitchen: Magic, Marhaba & Manakish – Food & Home Magazine |url=https://www.foodandhome.co.za/lifestyle/news-and-trends/the-lebanese-bakery-and-kitchen-magic-marhaba-manakish |website=www.foodandhome.co.za |access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref> this may be called ''ikras beid'' or ''kras beid'' ({{langx|apc|اقراص بيض|iʾrāṣ bēḍ|egg discs|label=none}}) in Jerusalem, where sujuk is a common traditional topping for egg manaqish.<ref name="alaraby">{{cite web |title=مذاق حياة فلسطين.. طاه مقدسي يعرف السياح على بلاده من خلال الطعام |url=https://www.alaraby.com/news/%D9%85%D8%B0%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85 |website=Al-Araby |access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Jerusalem chef gives tourists a Palestinian taste of life in the Old City |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jerusalem-chef-gives-tourists-palestinian-taste-life-old-city-2022-12-21/ |access-date=24 June 2025 |work=Reuters |date=22 Dec 2022}}</ref><ref name="kassis2022">{{Cite news |last=Kassis |first=Reem |date=17 January 2023 |title=Hummus, Tahini and Other Tastes of Home in Jerusalem's Old City |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/17/travel/palestinian-food-jerusalem-old-city.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230118013302/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/17/travel/palestinian-food-jerusalem-old-city.html |archive-date=2023-01-18 |access-date=15 Feb 2026 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} </ref> Qawarma (lamb meat preserved in tail fat) is a traditional topping for Lebanese egg manaqish.<ref name="aawsat2018"> {{cite news |title=«المنقوشة»... من المائدة اللبنانية إلى شوارع العالم |url=https://aawsat.com/home/article/1309476/%C2%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%A9%C2%BB-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85 |access-date=19 March 2026 |work=Asharq Al-Awsat |date=2018 |language=ar |trans-title="Manousheh"... from the Lebanese table to the streets of the world}} </ref><ref name="Gregory-Smith2019"> {{cite book |last1=Gregory-Smith |first1=John |title=Saffron in the Souks: Vibrant recipes from the heart of Lebanon |date=9 May 2019 |publisher=Octopus |isbn=978-0-85783-789-9 |page=314-315 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Saffron_in_the_Souks/RWGHDwAAQBAJ?gbpv=1&pg=PT314 |access-date=19 March 2026 |language=en}} </ref>
==See also== {{portal|Food}} *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
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Cuisine of Lebanon}} Category:Arab cuisine Category:Levantine cuisine Category:Lebanese cuisine Category:Syrian cuisine