hat is kunafa made of — really? Most buyers in Malaysia search for kunafa, order it, eat it, and still have no clear idea what they actually consumed. That gap matters, because what is kunafa made of determines everything: the texture, the taste, the stretch, the crunch, and whether the experience was genuinely extraordinary or quietly disappointing.
This guide answers the question completely — every ingredient, every function, every quality test — so that after reading it, you will never order kunafa without knowing exactly what to look for.
What Is Kunafa Made Of? The Four Core Ingredients
What is kunafa made of at its most fundamental level is four ingredients — and each one does something specific that the others cannot replace.
Kataifi pastry is the outer shell. It is made from ultra-thin wheat-based strands, finer than vermicelli, shaped into flat sheets and layered around the filling. In one style the strands are kept as individual threads. In another, a smooth semolina-based dough is pressed flat to create a seamless crust.
Akkawi cheese or cream filling is the interior. The most traditional version uses Akkawi — a white brined cheese soaked in water to remove its natural saltiness before use. Under heat it melts into a soft, continuously stretchy layer that defines authentic kunafa texture.
Pure clarified butter (ghee) saturates each layer of pastry before baking. Ghee is what allows the kataifi strands to separate cleanly, conduct heat evenly, and produce the signature golden crust. It is also what creates the rich aroma the moment the box is opened.
Natural blossom syrup is poured directly over the kunafa the instant it leaves the oven. Authentic syrup is made with real rose water or orange blossom water — producing clean, fragrant sweetness that complements the cheese without drowning it.
What Is Kunafa Made Of — The Cheese Filling Explained
What is kunafa made of at its most distinctive moment is the cheese — and this is where most commercial versions fail immediately.
Genuine Akkawi cheese melts under heat into a cohesive, stretchy layer. When you pull a piece of properly made kunafa apart, the cheese stretches in a way that has become one of the most recognised visual signatures of authentic Levantine desserts. That stretch is not a cooking trick — it is the direct result of using the correct cheese at the correct stage of preparation.
The slight residual saltiness of Akkawi — even after soaking — is also not an accident. It offsets the sweetness of the syrup and the richness of the ghee, creating the flavour contrast that makes authentic kunafa taste complex rather than flat. Remove that contrast and you get a dessert that is sweet and nothing else.
What Is Kunafa Made Of — Coarse vs. Fine: Two Completely Different Textures
What is kunafa made of also depends on which of the two main types you are eating — and the difference in experience is significant enough that buyers who prefer one are often disappointed by the other.
Coarse kunafa (kunafa khishneh) is built with thick, visible kataifi strands. The outer crust has a pronounced, defined crunch — individual strands are distinguishable on every bite, and there is a clear textural contrast between the crisp exterior and the soft, melted filling inside. This is the more dramatic version.
Fine kunafa (kunafa na’ameh) uses a smooth semolina crust pressed directly into the baking tray. The texture is more uniform — crisp but without the individual strand definition. The surface looks polished and even. This is the style most closely associated with Damascus and Nablus and is the version most commonly found in Malaysia.
Neither is superior. They are different experiences. Any kunafa worth buying should clearly state which style it is.
What Is Kunafa Made Of — The Pistachio Topping
Crushed pistachios are the finishing layer — scattered generously across the surface after the syrup is applied.
What is kunafa made of at the pistachio level tells you immediately how much the producer cares about quality. Genuine Aleppo pistachios — the variety used in traditional Levantine kunafa — are harvested before full ripeness. This preserves their intense natural green colour and their characteristic sweetness.
The colour check takes three seconds: deep, vivid, striking natural green confirms quality. Pale, dull, yellowish-green confirms inferior commercial nuts — regardless of what the label says.
The pistachio layer adds a dry, slightly earthy top note that contrasts with the sweet, floral syrup below. Without that contrast the dessert is one-dimensional. With it, every bite has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
What Is Kunafa Made Of — Why the Syrup Is the Most Overlooked Ingredient
Most buyers never think about the syrup. That is exactly why most buyers cannot explain why some kunafa tastes genuinely extraordinary and others taste merely acceptable.
What is kunafa made of at the syrup level is the difference between natural and commercial sweetness. Authentic blossom syrup — made with real rose water or orange blossom water — is thin, clear, fragrant, and absorbed evenly into the hot pastry. The flavour it leaves is light and clean.
Commercial glucose syrup leaves the opposite: a heavy, coating sweetness that sits on the tongue and produces a scratchy or burning sensation after swallowing. If you have ever felt vaguely uncomfortable after two or three pieces of kunafa, the syrup was almost certainly the reason.
Authentic syrup is poured immediately after baking, while the kunafa is still at maximum temperature, so the pastry absorbs it fully and evenly rather than sitting in a pool of excess sweetness at the bottom of the tray.
What Is Kunafa Made Of — The 30-Second Quality Check
Once you understand what is kunafa made of, verifying quality before the first bite takes thirty seconds.
Open the box. Genuine ghee fills the surrounding air with a warm, golden, meadow-like aroma within the first three seconds. If the smell is neutral or faintly oily, the fat used was not pure butter.
Look at the pistachios. Deep natural green confirms Aleppo variety. Pale or dull confirms commercial substitution — regardless of the description.
Look at the crust colour. Even, deep golden-brown confirms proper baking with sufficient ghee. Pale, uneven, or blotchy confirms either underbaking or insufficient fat.
Bite in from the edge. Properly made kunafa produces a clean, audible crack. Soft, silent texture means the layers were too thick, the ghee was insufficient, or the product has been sitting too long.
Taste the sweetness. Natural blossom syrup leaves a clean finish. Glucose syrup leaves a coating heaviness that does not fade.
Is What Kunafa Made Of Halal?
The traditional answer to what is kunafa made of — wheat, Akkawi cheese, ghee, sugar, rose water, pistachios — is naturally halal in every component.
The risk appears only in commercial variations: some cream fillings use gelatin-based stabilisers of uncertain animal origin, and some flavoured syrups use alcohol-based flavouring compounds. Neither issue affects traditionally produced kunafa made to the original recipe.
All kunafa available at Damas Sweets is 100% Halal certified, made to the original Levantine recipe without modification.
How Long Does Kunafa Last?
Kunafa is designed to be eaten the same day it is made. The crust is at its best within the first few hours after baking.
If refrigerated in an airtight container, kunafa keeps for up to two days. Reheat in an air fryer at 160°C for 3 to 4 minutes before serving to recover as much of the crust texture as possible.
Any kunafa with a three-month or six-month best-before date was produced with preservatives and commercial ingredients that have no place in what is kunafa made of by the authentic standard.
Where to Find Authentic Kunafa Made of the Right Ingredients in Malaysia
Now that you know what is kunafa made of by the genuine Levantine standard, finding the right product in Malaysia is straightforward — because you know exactly what questions to ask and exactly what to check when your order arrives.
Damas Sweets produces kunafa to the original Old Damascus recipe — Akkawi cheese, kataifi crust, 100% pure ghee, and natural blossom syrup. Available for same-day delivery across the Klang Valley and nationwide.
Full kunafa range: damassweets.com/product-category/kunafa-pastry
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