Kaak (street bread)
January 7, 2010 • Category: Travel
My first and last day in Beirut is always the same: I have to get some kaak.Kaakis the street bread that Beirutis love more than anything, it is our pretzel, our simit, our croissant; you get my point. This time, my new friend, Hind, took me to a bakery in Basta (the neighborhood in Beirut that no tourist will ever venture in unaccompanied); I was in heaven!
The place was a grotto! You had to first climb a few steps, then see through the darkness and smoke the flames of a medieval-looking oven and the bustle of men getting their first shipments of kaak ready for delivery.
Kaak is delivered to all the cart vendors throughout the city. They dangle them on a rail in their chariot, covered in plastic for protection. You buy it and they will fill it with a choice of zaatar or picon cheese (a cheese spread similar to cream cheese). I always want mine with zaatar, of course!
Some stores specialize in kaak and will fill it with every imaginable topping and will even toast it. The best kaak is eaten warm, fresh from the oven. It is irresistible! Chewy, faintly pungent with thyme, sesame and sumac, it just feels so comforting whenever you are walking the streets of Beirut and feeling the first pangs of hunger.
the furn (bakery) owner, standing guard at the steps, tending to business
and having fun at the same time, in the typical fashion of a bastawi
kaak lined up like little soldiers ready for delivery to all the cart vendors in town
Comments
51 Comments • Comments Feed
northshorewoman says:
this is a great post! It really brings to life in a down-to-earth daily way the kaak bakery and its people and environs. I’m going to find this bakery next time I go to Beirut!
On January 7, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Rosa says:
Thanks for sharing! An interesting bread!
Cheers,
Rosa
On January 7, 2010 at 11:36 pm
SE says:
J,
This is so interesting..and nice to read all about beirut..
On January 8, 2010 at 8:28 am
M. A. Salha says:
I also love ka’ak. Last time I was in Beirut I’d noticed there were very few street vendors left but I’m glad to see that has changed.
On January 8, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Juliana says:
Oh! Love this kind of bread…I can almost smell them. Thanks for sharing Beirut 🙂 By the way, Happy New Year Jourmana!
On January 8, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Marysol says:
You know, I found it interesting that the neighborhood where no tourists dare venture would be appropriately named “Basta,” which is Spanish for: “Enough.” That alone made me smile.
But the breads, oh my! Just one of those beautiful breads would not be Basta for me. And I love their baby bib shape.
On January 8, 2010 at 5:04 pm
HistoryOf GreekFood says:
What a wonderful street bread! Thanks for sharing! 😉
On January 9, 2010 at 5:38 am
Ivy says:
This looks delicious. Does it open like pita?
On January 9, 2010 at 8:42 am
Joumana says:
If you wish to have it with zaatar, the street vendor will slit it once, throw in the zaatar mix (thyme, sumac and sesame and salt) and you will then shake it all around to spread it evenly. If you want it with cheese, then he will open it like pita and cover one side with cheese.
On January 9, 2010 at 8:49 am
diala says:
Love this one sooo much! Remember my childhood in Sad El Baouchrieh and the sound of the vendors when they came into our street!! 🙂
On January 9, 2010 at 8:52 am
sabah says:
I love all kind of bread, that one looks fabulous, I would love to try it, thanks for sharing.
On January 9, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Arlette says:
Marhaba Joumana and welcome back
this is my favourite bakery its between Ras Al Nabah and Basta, in a tiny street… the smell of the kaak filling the air , my sister still stops there and buy some kaak if she is in the neighborhood, or if dont have anything one afternoon they drive from Sin el fil to Basta specially to buy the Kaak… the old guy is the one who taught me how to do it, and I did a posting about the kaak, but too bad I dont have any photos taken from the bakery… now we do… Thanks Joumana you took me back to my Beautiful Country and favourite snack
On January 9, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Joumana says:
Hi Arlette, how amazing that this is the same bakery! I did mean to link to your recipe and forgot! I am going to try it by the way! The only hint I got this time in Beirut was to use Flour 00.
On January 10, 2010 at 10:53 am
jihad says:
hi, kifik, ca va
please informe the recipe ingredient of kaak ( street bread)
thanks
shao
On October 27, 2010 at 6:15 am
georges says:
Hi,please informe the recipe ingredient of kaak ( street bread)
thank you in advance
On April 10, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Joumana says:
@Georges: I have yet to make kaak, sorry I don’t have a recipe available right at this moment/ I will make one soon.
On April 10, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Farid says:
Hi Joumana,
Have you ever managed to post the recipe for kaak? Appreciate if you could post it.
thanks
Farid
On April 24, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Joumana says:
@Farid: I have not had time to test my recipe for kaak Farid; promise it won’t be long!
On April 24, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Nisrine says:
hey! yummi it looks so good
i also would highly appreciate if you can post the kaak recipe thanks
On May 11, 2011 at 8:52 am
Roro says:
We used to call them “3asriyhe Ka’ak” afternoon ka’ak, street vendors used to sell them in the afternoon by the “corniche el ba7er” in Rouche district. I missed those days where Beirut was a cornucopia of multiculturism and we all shared our benevolence with our neighbors.
On December 29, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Mike says:
Hi there
This place is in zahrawi street in basta tahta
The man in the picture is abo ali
That’s why they call it kaak abo ali
And they call him abo ali elka’ak this guy is a history him self
Beside the delicious kaak he make ,he use to solve all the street
Troubles , such as people fighting , car accidents and others
And never put down his argille(hookah)even during the fight.
Any way I know all this because I live just across the street from that place
Too bad abo ali has been sick for the past two years
last year I went to Lebanon and I didn’t see him at all
On May 19, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Joumana says:
@Mike: Thank you for all the precious memories and valuable information on Abu Ali!
On May 19, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Mike says:
The kaak vendors use to come at 5 am
I remember before going to school I use to hear them talking
And telling the previous day stories
Abo ali was well known person too all kind of people use to visit him
Especially in Ramadan night when the furn is open24 hours
Like I said the place called after him,and he called after the place
They were like one
always sweet talk to every body pass by
Ya Hala ya Hala , all day long you hear him saying
Habibi ,3yoni, sharrif
he was never tired
As for the ka’ak they only sell the good Looking and Buffy one
they give away the latieh one (bad)
I have a lot of things I can tell about it
may be next time
On May 19, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Laura McMullen says:
Have you found a recipe for the street vendor version of kaak? This was my favorite treat growing up in Beirut and as I haven’t been back- I would give anything to make it. I did find your recipe for kaak but they look more like solid bagels and not sure that the recipe would work if I tried to shape them into the rings.and if it puffs up so that it’s hollow.
One of my favorite recipes that I do make is zaatar bread- it’s very good but wondering if you have a recipe that would be a little more authentic than the one I’m using.
Thanks Laura
On July 5, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Joumana says:
@Laura: The recipe for kaak is first on my to-do list! I am enjoying kaak as much as possible while in Lebanon, but I know I will miss it! Stay tuned, I even bought an electric oven to test it in.
On July 6, 2012 at 1:18 am
Sanna says:
Hi! Got to this blog in the pursuit of ka’ak-recipe, have you by any chance found one? 🙂
On October 2, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Joumana says:
@Sanna: Ka’ak made in a home kitchen is going to be a recipe in my cookbook; as of yet, I don’t know of an authentic recipe and the stores that sell it here like Abu Arab would not divulge such a winning recipe!
On October 2, 2012 at 2:11 pm
imm abbas says:
Did you ever get around to making this ?
Is this the same type of kaak that goes with the kanafe if not do you have q recipe for it?
thank you
On August 4, 2013 at 11:39 am
Joumana says:
@imm abbas: I tried many times to make it at home and have temporarily given up; this is difficult; according to the guys at the bakery the oven is kept at a special temp; the oven is key.
On August 4, 2013 at 2:02 pm
imm abbas says:
That’s unfortunate I found a couple recipes on the net and I have them rising before putting them in the oven hopefully they turn out at least decent if I have any luck I’ll definitely let you know.
On August 6, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Joumana says:
@Imm abbas: I’d love to know how yours turned out! 🙂
On August 7, 2013 at 2:41 am
imm abbas says:
I sent you an email with some pictures I think it turned out pretty well!!
On August 8, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Sossie says:
How come no bakery in California can duplicate the kaak,they make it but it is nothing like the Lebanese kaak with zaatar
Our street vendor would come in late afternoon on Sodeco St carrying his tray full of kaaks on his head and yell; KAAK ASSREYEH we would lower a basket tied to a long rope from our 6th floor balcony and buy kaaks
I can still smell the aroma after 40 years
On November 10, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Joumana says:
@Sossie: I can relate; I still adore the kaak but I have become much more demanding when it comes to the zaatar inside! 🙂
On November 11, 2013 at 12:17 am
sossie says:
Joumana; where do you live now? In our area of Glendale CA we can buy Zaatar imported from Lebanon or Jordan
On November 11, 2013 at 10:28 am
Joumana says:
@Sossie: I am in Beirut for now.
On November 11, 2013 at 11:53 pm
Mike says:
Last update
Abo ali passed away (Allah yer7amo)last summer
His son is taking care of the furn
But unfortunately nothing like before
The building where the place at is too old
Some one bought it and wants them to
Leave so they will demolish the building
And now they waitng the court decision
I told the bakers who w
On February 9, 2014 at 11:07 am
Mike says:
I told the bakers who work there about your website
And thy willing to share the their secret of making
The precious kaak
On February 9, 2014 at 11:10 am
zeinab says:
thank u for posting this post now….i am so proud of having a grandfather like geddo abo ali….we missed him alot…. i am so happy of what u said about geddo… he was a great person ….it was a great loss not just for us as his family but also to everyone he knew him.
it is correct that the old foron was closed..but abu ali sons opened a new foron close to the old one..
On March 30, 2014 at 4:33 pm
aya says:
thank u for this post.we r all proud of haj abu ali(may his soul rest in peace ) he left his love in everyone’s heart.his family and this bakery are a continuous of his legacy
On April 3, 2014 at 4:04 pm
amal hoteit says:
Hi everyone . I’m abu ali’s daughter . I would like to thank you all for what you said about dad . the bakery was his life . Believe me , he used to use the same words at home:ya hala ,3youne ,yes3ed hal sabah . He would have been so happy and proud of what you said . His dream was to improve the bakery and the ka3k and hamdella my brothers are doing that by opening a new branch in Bshara al khouri in front of the building of al melieh . It would be a small thank for a man who dedicated his life to us, others , and his work . Thank you all
On April 4, 2014 at 7:19 am
sawsan says:
thank you all for your comments,
it is been almost a year since abou ali,my father,passed away
a reading them at the time like this,meant soo much to us
i personally consider them like condolences.
Yes!!. he left an impact on everyone around him through his kindness, generosity and hospitality.
@mike
On April 5, 2014 at 5:06 am
Joumana says:
@sawsan: I was so sorry to hear about his passing; I consider that your father was a pillar of Lebanese life and culture. It will be difficult for someone else to fill his shoes. My heartfelt condolences.
On April 6, 2014 at 12:57 am
Hisham Assaad says:
I love Kaak.
Kaak from Abou Arab (Safra Highway) is a stop everything we go to Jbeil/Byblos for beach.
I love mine with Akkawi cheese and Mouhammara
On August 8, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Joumana says:
@Hisham Assaad: Me too! that’s my favorite topping 🙂
On August 8, 2014 at 8:52 pm
Richard says:
I was born in England and came to Beirut with my family when I was 6 months old and lived there for 25 years until the civil war. Ka’ak was part of my childhood. We used to go twice a week to the Sanayeh park where I learned to ride a bicycle and our treat was a ka’ak from the vendor in one corner of the park. As I grew older I tended to prefer a man’oushi from the Dib Bakery in Patriarchat (Zarif) although I used to enjoy a ka’ak from time to time. I still make many Lebanese dishes and I have taught my English wife to make excellent madadarah.
On January 8, 2016 at 4:41 pm
Joumana says:
@Richard: Sounds like we had similar childhood memories, since we lived behind the garden and Sanayeh was our playground on a daily basis 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing bits of your childhood memories! 🙂
On January 11, 2016 at 3:52 pm
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