Tag Archives: pastry

One of the most exciting recent food developments in the Cleveland area is the plethora of new Yemeni cafes popping up in the city and suburbs. Apparently the growth of Yemeni cafes is a trend throughout the US, and not just in Northeast Ohio. Yemen is considered to be the home of the coffee trade, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the country boasts a vibrant cafe culture, which has also come to the US in recent years. Two new Yemeni cafes in the Cleveland Area include Shibam Coffee (26745 Brookpark Ext, North Olmsted, OH 44070) and Qawah House (25102 Brookpark Rd #146, North Olmsted, OH 44070). Both of these locations appear to be part of mini-chains with locations throughout the US.

Of course, the delicious and strong coffee and tea, elegant surroundings, and late operating hours are the main draws to these Yemeni cafes. However, another major attraction is a new-to-us dessert: “honeycomb” cake/bread, more properly known as Khaliat Nahal / Nahl. Khaliat Nahal (which literally means “bee’s hive/beehive” in Arabic) is a classic Yemeni dessert that seems to be on offer at all of these cafes, often alongside crepes, cookies, or milk cakes (another Middle Eastern specialty based on the Latin American tres leches cake). Khaliat Nahal is a leavened bread with a cream cheese filling, topped with honey and sesame and/or nigella seeds. It is formed from pull-apart pieces of dough shaped in a round honeycomb-like pattern (which reminds us of a more-organized monkey bread). There is something extremely visually-satisfying about this geometric bread, and we like that you can sometimes customize how sweet you want it to by adding your own honey topping. If you are feeling ambitious you can even make your own honeycomb bread at home! Check out these recipes from Strawberry in the Desert and Every Little Crumb. For now, I think we will look forward to getting this sweet bread at our local Yemeni cafes as a special treat.