Veronica's Kitchen Day 9: Kaak

Perhaps it's the texture, or maybe its appeal as a versatile snack. But this middle-eastern version of the crispy breadstick, know to us as ka'ak, or ka'akeh, (depending on regional pronunciations and interpretations), has been a staple of our family kitchen for many generations.

My great-grandmother, Azadouhi (Veronica's mother), would often be found late at night, pacing in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil her water to make black tea. She'd then sit at the kitchen table, grab one of these breadsticks (which were usually found tabletop), and dunk it into the tea for a tasty late night snack. In the mornings, this was also considered a quick, easy breakfast item. Depending on what was available in the fridge, grandma would either heat milk, or use orange juice, either one a perfectly good dunking medium. Finally, some nice white farmer's cheese would round off the ka'ak breakfast (and in my opinion, make it a complete meal).



Crispy Ka'ak such as this one with sesame seeds, can usually be found in any Middle Eastern market or specialty store.