Turkish desserts tend to be sweet and substantial and this one is no exception. Kemal Pasha dessert (kemalpaşa tatlısı in Turkish) is a speciality of Mustafakemalpaşa, a town in the province of Bursa in North-West Turkey.
The one in this photo is unusually big; normally a serving would consist of three smaller balls. Turkish friends say the best kemalpaşa tatlısı is still found in the town of Mustafakemalpaşa itself, made by a company called Güvenal.
The original version is made with fresh cheese – this part of Turkey is famous for dairy products. The dough is shaped into balls which are baked in the oven and then boiled in syrup. It’s usually served with a kind of thick cream called kaymak. Since I moved to Turkey, people often tell me I’m too skinny. Must be because I don’t eat enough of these!
According to Wikipedia, kemalpaşa tatlısı is a relative of the Pakistani dessert Gulab Jamun. What’s your opinion?
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There’s life outside Istanbul
Yogurt in Turkish cooking
Where to eat Pakistani food
Yum! I heard somewhere that Bursa is also the home of the best sheesh kebab, is that right?
It has its own kebab, called either Iskender kebab (after the guy who invented it) or just Bursa kebab. It is reeeeally good. And I used to be a vegetarian 🙂
It looks like Gulab Jamun (my fav dessert) for sure – when served along with ice cream!