Semolina pudding

By Region

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia

The Czechs call it krupičná kaše or krupicová kaše, the Slovaks krupicová kaša, the Austrians Grießkoch, the Germans Grießbrei, the Slovenians kaša iz pšeničnega zdroba, and the Croatians call it griz. It is served warm, sprinkled with cocoa and sugar, and doused with melted butter. Sometimes other variations and flavours may be used, such as cinnamon, honey, cherry compote, grated chocolate, tuzemák, etc.

Romania

In Romania it is called griș cu lapte. Jam, candied fruit, cinnamon and raisins may be added. Once cooked, the preparation is poured into a cake pan. It is served warm or cold. The word griș may come from German Grieß similar to the English grit.

Hungary

Hungarians call this dish tejbegríz or tejbedara, meaning "semolina in milk". Usually cooked with a generous amount of sugar, some butter, and a pinch of salt. It is served warm either plain or sprinkled with cocoa powder, cinnamon sugar, sometimes with fresh or canned fruits, jam, vanilla, choco bits; modern additions include ice cream, whipped cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, candied fruit, granola, pumpkin seeds etc. A similar but much thicker pudding-like product, precooked and packaged as a store-bought convenience food, is marketed under the name grízpuding (mirror translation for semolina pudding).

Lithuania

In Lithuania, this dish is called manų košė. Usually, it is cooked in a mixture of water, milk and sugar, and is always served warm, with a topping of cinnamon and sugar, or sometimes jam.

Levant

In the Levant, semolina pudding is used as a ingredient in making tamriyeh (), a dessert made by cutting rose-water flavored semolina pudding into squares, wrapping it in filo pastry, frying it, and topping it with powdered sugar and syrup. It is often associated with the city of Nablus, and is popular elsewhere, like Lebanon and Egypt.

Palestine

Khabeesa () is a traditional semolina pudding made using grape juice that is mixed with semolina flour and flavored with seeds, it is popular in the city of Hebron, in the West Bank.

Syria

This dish is well known in Damascus and Aleppo (as well as other parts of Syria) as Mamonia (), it is thought to have been named after Caliph al-Ma'mun, who ruled over medieval Syria. It is prepared by adding butter-toasted semolina into boiling water that is mixed with sugar and sometimes cinnamon pieces. It is then served with a variety of toppings including but not limited to white cheese, cinnamon powder and pistachios.

Lebanon

In Lebanon, semolina pudding is used as a component in making Layali Lubnan, where a layer of rose water-flavored semolina pudding is topped with a layer of qishta, and then various toppings like nuts and qatir.

References

References

1. "Spiced semolina pudding with ginger biscuits".
2. [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29728/29728-h/29728-h.htm The recipe book of Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome], translated Latin-to-English by JD Vehling. Search the text for the heading ''Farina Pudding'' (and relatedly search also for ''porridge'').
3. [https://books.google.com/books?id=q-cgAQAAIAAJ&q=%22instant+Semolina+pudding%22 Steering Group on Chemical Aspects of Food Surveillance: Annual Report 1995 - B. H. B. Dickinson]
4. [http://dexonline.ro/definitie/gris Griș on DEXonline]
5. [http://www.ptitchef.com/recettes/gris-cu-lapte-fid-202079 Griș cu lapte recipe]
6. The ''OED'' gives the following earliest references: ''Epinal Gloss''. 823 Pullis, grytt. c1000 ÆLFRIC ''Gloss.'' in Wr.-Wülcker 141/20 ''Apludes'' uel ''cantabra,'' hwæte gryttan. c1000 ''Sax. Leechd.'' II. 220 oððe grytta. a1100 ''Ags. Voc. '' in Wr.-Wülcker 330/33 ''Furfures, '' gretta. 11.. ''Voc.'' ibid. 505/13 ''Polline, '' gryttes. a1225 ''Ancr.'' R. 186 þis is Godes heste, þet him is muchele leouere þen þet tu ete gruttene bread, oð er werie herde here
7. "Tejbegríz recept egyszerűen, gyorsan".
8. ""الطمرية"... حلوى بعادات نابلس وتراثها". The New Arab.
9. (22 January 2021). "التمرية الفلسطينية.. حلوى الشتاء الساخنة {{!}} هرمز نيوز". hormuz.news.
10. (26 February 2022). "Tamriyeh". Middle East Monitor.
11. (2 April 2023). ""الكلاج"... نجم الحلويات الرمضانية تاريخياً". موقع لبنان الكبير.
12. (29 November 2024). "As Gazans starved, these Palestinian chefs grappled with how to keep cooking". The Globe and Mail.
13. (1 May 2022). "7 Iconic Palestinian Desserts You Need to Try".
14. "الخبيصة..حلوى شعبية متوارثة في الخليل". Raya news.
15. (22 March 2018). "A New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Essential Guide to Middle Eastern Cooking. As Heard on BBC Radio 4". Penguin Books Limited.
16. (8 February 2025). "Layali Lubnan (Semolina Pudding)".