Help me identify a Middle Eastern confection

[Barbix]

Is anyone familiar with Middle Eastern sweets? My son was given what looked sort of like a square of divinity, white in color with a couple of pistachios on top, but when you pulled at it, it came apart in threads, like cotton candy. The taste was mildly sweet and had a subtle nut (or maybe sesame) flavor.

Thanks in advance.

[rkn]

It could be knaffi (or knoffi?) which has a filling simliar to baklava and has a threadlike shell.

[Das Ubergeek]

Armenians call this "knafieh jeben". I think this might be what you're talking about.

[FlyerFan]

Here's a link to a recipe.

Link: http://www.hallab1881.com/shopcatalog...

[sumfrequency]

sounds like it could be halvah, which is a mixture of sesame paste and honey. depending on how its made halvah can either break apart into a crumbly texture or else in sections with a threadlike grain. it doesn't sound like the pasty is kataif (bird's nest phyllo shreds) since this pastry is not usually sesame flavored.

[Gary Soup]

Maybe Pismaniye, (a.k.a. "Cotton Delight") from Turkey?

Link: http://eatingchinese.org

[Caseophile]

Is that the same thing as "Turkish delight?"

[gina]

No...Turkish Delight is more of a gumdrop-like consistency, except denser and super-sweet, covered in a kind of powdered sugar.

[Jerome]

"turkish delight" is Lokum in Turkish. The best (supposedly) is made by Haci Bekir in Istanbul.

http://www.hacibekir.com.tr/

Link: http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/Tr...

[peppermint pate]

Sounds like Persian fairy floss. I've never seen it in a solid square form but it's definitely thready and tastes like cotton candy.

[Nancy Berry]

Sounds like it might be Gazz, Persian nougat. Here's a picture and a link to the website where I found it. Is this it?

Link: http://www.shiringazz.com/gazz_story.html

Image: http://www.shiringazz.com/album_bm.jpg

[Barbix]

Thanks, 'hounds, for all the replies. Persian fairy floss and pismaniye sound like the closest thing. It was definitely cotton candy-like and melted in your mouth. Unlike cotton candy, it wasn't cloyingly sweet--it was much better. My only complaint was there wasn't enough of it.