Never heard of kunefe before? Don’t worry, we’re right there with you. If you’re more cultured than our staffers, then you probably already know that kunefe (pronounced kyun-eh-fay) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that was originally created to feed hungry rulers during Ramadan. We can’t speak to the authenticity of Trader Joe’s Kunefe, but we can say it’s really freaking good.
When you take the frozen kunefe out of the box, you’ll find two additional packages. In the white container, you’ll find a sweet, virtually clear syrup, while the other package contains a smattering of crushed pistachio. Both toppings are designed to be sprinkled on the kunefe after it’s done cooking.
This dessert takes about 20 minutes to cook in the oven, but the process isn’t long or overly involved. The kunefe is designed to be heated right in its black baking tray. You’ll know that it’s done when it’s browned at the edges and has risen in the middle.
We really had no idea what to expect from this dessert, which left us slightly apprehensive when it came time to dig in. At least one of our staffers compared the dish to a head of hair, which isn’t an appetizing thought! Thankfully, when we took our first bite, all of our fears were put to rest. This dish blew us away, and it’s probably something that we’ll go back to time and time again.
The shredded phylo dough might look a little like hair, but it actually tastes a bit like breakfast cereal; it reminded us of shredded wheat. Beneath the crispy dough is a layer of gooey mozzarella cheese. Syrup-topped cheese might not sound amazing, but trust us when we say that the flavor is phenomenal. The cheese is gooey, but it has a sweetness that’s similar to cream cheese. Add in the crunch from the pistachios and dough, and you have a perfect blend of tastes and textures.
This might be a traditional dessert, but we actually think it makes a terrific breakfast too. However, you’ll want to be sure you’re aware of the calorie content of this meal. A single package contains 900 calories, which is a lot to eat in a sitting. Trader Joe’s claims that there are two servings per box. Splitting this dish might be a bit awkward, but it’s probably your best course of action.
We’d love to try authentic kunefe sometime, but in the meantime, Trader Joe’s Kunefe will leave us more than satisfied. This is one of the most delicious Trader Joe’s goodies we’ve sampled, and we can’t wait to try it again.
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for this Trader Joe’s frozen kunefe, check out our package scan below.
I could not possibly disagree more, and strongly suggest that you actually try the authentic dish before saying anything more about TJ’s version. It is not as bad as their felafel, which tastes like dehydrated dirt, but it is pretty awful.
I suggest that if TJ’s wants to sell Arabic food, they find someone who knows how to prepare decent Arabic food.
I further suggest that if they want to sell Arabic food, they find out the following: 1. How to correctly transliterate the name of the food. Kunefe is not it at all. Kunafe is much closer. 2) How to at least approximate the correct pronunciation. kyun-eh-fay is not even close. If you went to Nablus, Palestine, and asked for that, you’d get funny looks. A reasonably close pronunciation is koo-NA-fuh with the a pronounced as in sat.
This is the Greek version. The box says it is a product of Greece. The preparation, cheese and spelling are Greek.