Antakya Künefesi

Antakya Künefesi is a hot cheese-filled pastry dessert produced in Hatay province and its districts in southern Turkey. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected geographical indications on 13 March 2023 by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/562, published in Official Journal L 74. The application was submitted by Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Antakya Ticaret ve Sanayi Odası) on behalf of producers. The Turkish domestic GI registration is Certificate No. 101, registered on 5 September 2008 and protected as of 14 April 2018 under Industrial Property Law No. 6769.

The product is one of a small number of Turkish desserts made with cheese. It is assembled from three specialised ingredients all produced within the defined geographical area: künefelik kadayıf (a lightly baked thread-like dough), Antakya künefelik cheese (a fresh, near salt-free cheese made specifically for künefe), and butter. These are baked in a flat tray and finished with hot syrup before serving. The dessert is consumed hot, served immediately after syrup is added.

What makes it distinct

The defining characteristic of Antakya Künefesi is Antakya künefelik cheese. This cheese is fresh, almost salt-free (salt content 0.02–0.4%), and produced from raw cow's milk in Hatay province. Its most critical functional property is its creep — when heated above 65°C at a pH of 4.9–5.2, the cheese softens and stretches to form long fibres inside the hot pastry. This elastic, stretching behaviour, described in the specification as a "chicken breast" texture, is the visual and culinary signature of the product.

The künefelik kadayıf — the thread-like dough used as the outer casing — is made from first-class white flour and water, poured through a multi-tap cezve onto a rotating heated copper sheet. It dries in 15–25 seconds. Its moisture content ranges from 28.2–35.4% (average 31.0% ± 2.12%) and ash content from 0.33–0.48% (average 0.41% ± 0.045%). Adjusting its thickness and texture during rapid baking on a rotating tray requires craft skills transmitted through master-apprenticeship.

The specification notes that Antakya künefelik cheese acquires its flavour from the milk of cows grazing on Hatay's exceptionally rich flora — approximately 2,000 plant species, 300 of which are endemic to the region. Endemic plants, particularly zahter (wild thyme), are considered to contribute to the milk's character.

Production zone

The production region covers Hatay province and all its districts: Antakya, Altınözü, Kumlu, Belen, İskenderun, Arsuz, Kırıkhan, Payas, Dörtyol, Hassa, Erzin, Samandağ, Yayladağ, Defne, and Reyhanlı. Hatay is the southernmost province of Turkey, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Syria to the south and east, Adana to the northwest, Osmaniye to the north, and Gaziantep to the northeast.

All three key production stages — manufacture of künefelik kadayıf, production of Antakya künefelik cheese, and assembly and baking of Antakya Künefesi — must take place within this geographical area. Milk for the cheese must be sourced from Hatay province.

Ingredients and proportions

The specification defines the following proportions per batch:

• 1 kg künefelik kadayıf

• 750 g Antakya künefelik cheese

• 300 g butter

• 1 kg syrup (60% sugar dissolved in 40% water, with a few drops of lemon juice to prevent crystallisation)

The finished dessert is a disc shape, 1–2 cm in height, with diameter ranging from 10 to 50 cm depending on the number of portions. Upper and lower layers turn brown and crispy through the Maillard reaction during baking; the cheese in the middle softens and becomes creamy.

Production method

The specification defines the following stages:

1. Butter is spread on a flat tinned copper or aluminium tray. Half the künefelik kadayıf + butter mixture is laid on the tray.

2. Antakya künefelik cheese is distributed evenly over the base layer.

3. The remaining künefelik kadayıf + butter mixture is laid on top.

4. The künefe is pressed, then cooked on low heat until the bottom layer browns and crisps. It is then turned upside down to cook the second side in the same manner.

5. Hot syrup is added immediately before serving.

In raw (uncooked) form, Antakya Künefesi can be frozen and stored at -18°C for transportation and distribution, with a shelf life of six months at that temperature or one week at refrigerated temperature.

Historical record

Documentary evidence of künefe making as a recognised profession in Antakya dates to 18th-century Islamic court records. Records from 1898–1901 (Antakya Islamic Records No. 50) list the künefe tray among household goods. A künefe tray is recorded as an inherited item in Antakya estate inventories from the same period. The Künefeciler (künefe sellers) district in Antakya was established in the 1930s, and two brothers trading under the nickname "Arab" served the product from the Köprübaşı location from 1935 to 1960. Künefe is recorded as a distinct dish of Antakya cuisine in a tourism guide published in 1971.

Control and certification

Control is carried out by:

• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Hatay Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry — Aksaray Mah. Mehmet Kafadar Cad., Antakya / Hatay — checks product specifications, geographical origin, production method compliance, and labelling conditions

Each supplier and producer is required to maintain a traceability system covering one step forward and one step backward, in accordance with the Turkish Food Codex.