Kataifi (Shredded Wheat Pastry)
Kataifi is one of the most beloved Oriental pastries adopted into Romanian cuisine, a staple of traditional confectioneries across the country. The delicate kataifi dough (fine shredded filo strands) is filled with ground walnuts or pistachios and generously soaked with a sugar syrup fragrant with lemon and rose water or vanilla. The crisp exterior, moist interior, and perfumed sweetness of the syrup make kataifi an unforgettable dessert for any occasion.
Servings
20
Prep
30 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 h 30 min (cu siropare și odihnă / including soaking and resting)
🥘Ingredients
servings
Pastry and filling
Syrup
Decoration
✅Dietary Compatibility
Yield
approx. 20 rolls
📦Storage
Refrigerator
Store covered at room temperature for 1–2 days (best crispness on the first day). Can be refrigerated for 3–4 days, but loses crispness — reheat for 5 minutes in the oven at 170°C to restore it.
Freezer
Baked, un-syruped rolls can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature, reheat in the oven, and soak with syrup immediately after removing from the oven.
🥗Nutrition Facts
Values per serving (approx. 2 rolls / 100 g)
Calories
380 kcal
Protein
6 g
Fat
22 g
Carbohydrates
43 g
Fiber
2 g
🍷Pairs Well With
💡Variations
Pistachio kataifi: replace the walnuts with coarsely chopped pistachios and add a few drops of rose water to the filling for a more refined and colourful variation
Cream kataifi nests: instead of rolls, shape nests of dough in the tin and fill the centre with vanilla cream or cream cheese after baking and soaking
Orange kataifi: add grated orange zest to the filling and replace the rose water in the syrup with orange juice for a more citrusy and fresh flavour