Manakish, manaqish, manaeesh, manakeesh or in singular form man'ousheh, مناقيش, mannoushe, mannoush, mankoushe, mankoucheh... many ways of writing it but one meaning. Manoushe is a popular Levantine food consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, or ground meat. Similar to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded, and it can either be served for breakfast or lunch. The word manaqish is the plural of the Arabic word manqūshah (from the root verb naqasha'to sculpt, carve out'), meaning that after the dough has been rolled flat, it is pressed by the fingertips to create little dips for the topping to lie in.
Traditionally, women would bake dough in a communal oven in the morning, to provide their family with their daily bread needs, and would prepare smaller portions of dough with different toppings for breakfast at this time.
Za'atar: The most popular form of manakish uses za'atar as a topping. The zaatar is mixed with olive oil and spread onto the bread before baking it in the oven. It is a favourite breakfast preparation in Lebanon.
Manakish are Lebanese and popular in most Levantine countries, as well as in many cities throughout the world where people of Levantine origin have settled.
