Halawet el jibn

The exact origin of the dessert is disputed. It is often claimed to have originated in the Syrian cities of Homs and Hama, and there is a long standing debated among the inhabitants of both cities over which city invented it.^{[10][1][2][3][11]}

The time period of its invention is also debated, its commonly believed to have been invented during the 19th or 20th centuries.^[10][2][11]

Syrian author Khayr al-Din al-Asadi described halawet el-jibn in his book "Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo", which was completed in 1971 and published posthumously in 1981.^[12][13] Al-Asadi described the dessert as a sweet made from sweet cheese, semolina, and samneh, and noted that it was popular during spring, when cheese was in season.^[12]

This dessert is primarily made of a semolina and cheese dough (containing traditionally Akkawi or Majdoola cheese,^[14][15] but also mozzarella or some mix of cheeses as alternatives^[16]), a sugar syrup locally called ʾaṭər (Levantine Arabic: قَطْر), and orange flower water or rose water.^[17] It is normally filled with cream or clotted cream (Levantine Arabic: قشطة, romanized: ʼəshṭa^[4][17]) and decorated with pistachio.^[17] Rose petal jam can be used as a garnish as well.^[15]

Arabic ice cream (booza) is a common topping for halawet el-jibn during summer.^[10][2][18]

Maʻjūqah (معجوقة) is a dessert native to Hama made similarly to halawet el-jibn, where the semolina-cheese dough is spread on a plate rather than rolled, and then topped with qishta.^[19][10][20]

• 
  Halawet al-jibn being prepared in Hama, with cream filling
• 
  One variety of Halawat Al jibun
• 
  Qatir syrup being added to halawet el-jibn

• Blintz
• Barquillo