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DISH RESEARCH · Dessert

Balah El Sham

Also known as: بلح الشام

Fluted fried pastries dipped in vanilla sugar syrup.

Balah El Sham — illustrative food image

About Balah El Sham

Balah el sham is a syrup-soaked fluted pastry shared by Tasbih through her grandmother's family recipe. This rendition keeps the original oil and powdered vanilla choices she identifies in her notes.

Flour and water form the cooked dough, which is enriched with eggs and piped into short ridged fingers. A separate sugar syrup carries lemon juice and vanilla.

The fried pastries drain before entering the cooled syrup. They are arranged on a platter and can receive a pistachio garnish; Tasbih also describes serving them with mint tea.

Allergens in this recipe

Contains: Wheat, Egg.

Optional additions: Pistachio.

Other allergen details are unconfirmed.

Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.

Ingredients in Balah El Sham

Tasbih's grandmother's balah el sham with oil and powdered vanilla.

Ingredient details & uncertainties

Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.

  • Granulated sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual97/113 syrup.
  • Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual98/104 syrup and dough consolidated.
  • Lemon juice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual99/113.
  • Powdered vanilla: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual100/107 genuine offered powder,129 grandmother original always powdered; full product carrier/flavouring formula unknown.
  • All-purpose flour: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Wheat source-confirmed. Actual102 conventional Wheat.
  • Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual103/117.
  • Oil for dough: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual128 explicitly offered original grandmother oil instead of author butter105; species unknown. Not automatically same vegetable fry oil108.
  • Eggs: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Egg source-confirmed. Actual106/120.
  • Vegetable oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual108/122-124 frying plus explicit scissor-tip oil123 consolidated, not extra unnamed medium.
  • Pistachios (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Pistachio source-confirmed. Actual82/110/126 explicitly optional nut.
  • Prepared tea (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual83 offered named hot tea, exact tea/prepared formula unknown; no sugar/dairy invented.
  • Mint (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual83 tea with mint explicitly offered, species/form unprovided, optional companion allocation.

Origins & food traditions

Countries

  • Egypt
  • EgyptCatalogue link pending review

Cuisines & regions

AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.

Sources & references
  1. Tasbih, Cleobuttera - Grandma’s Balah El Sham, Fluted Fritters