Qishta

Qishta (Arabic: قِشْطَة, romanized: qišṭa, pronounced [qiʃ.tˤa]), also known as kishta, kashta , ghishta, or ashta, is a dairy coagulated milk product prepared from heated fresh milk and consumed as a dessert.^[1][2] It is found in Southern Mediterranean cuisines, including Lebanese and Egyptian cuisines.^[3] It is sometimes scented with orange flower water.^[4] Ashta may be served with fruit, used to fill crêpes and pastries, or served with pistachios and sweet syrups.^[5][6] Qishta is "highly perishable" and, if improperly prepared or stored, may be a source of foodborne illness such as listeria.^[7][8][9] It is similar to other heat-prepared dairy dishes such as kaymak and khoa.^[10]

Qishta

Ashta (qishta) topped with pistachios and honey, as served at Phoenicia Restaurant in Glendale, California (2024)

See also

• Clotted cream
• Malai
• List of cheeses
• List of dairy products

References

1. Najib, Mustapha; Hallab, Mohamad Walid; Hallab, Karim; Hallab, Zaher; Delaplace, Guillaume; Hamze, Monzer; Chihib, Nour-Eddine (2020-01-24). "Qishta—A Lebanese Heat Concentrated Dairy Product Characteristics and Production Procedures". Foods. 9 (2): 125. doi:10.3390/foods9020125. ISSN 2304-8158. PMC 7073747. PMID 31991542.
2. Najib, Mustapha; Bray, Fabrice; Khelissa, Simon; Flament, Stephanie; Richard, Elodie; El Omari, Khaled; Rolando, Christian; Delaplace, Guillaume; Hamze, Monzer; Chihib, Nour-Eddine (2022-01-01). "Effect of milk heat treatment on molecular interactions during the process of Qishta, a Lebanese dairy product". International Dairy Journal. 124: 105150. doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2021.105150. ISSN 0958-6946.
3. Mefleh, Marina; Darwish, Amira M. Galal; Mudgil, Priti; Maqsood, Sajid; Boukid, Fatma (December 2022). "Traditional Fermented Dairy Products in Southern Mediterranean Countries: From Tradition to Innovation". Fermentation. 8 (12): 743. doi:10.3390/fermentation8120743. ISSN 2311-5637.
4. Kobeissi, Hoda. "Atayef with ashta cream (sweet pancake stuffed with clotted cream". SBS. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
5. Choueiry, Ramzi (2012-10-01). The Arabian Cookbook: Traditional Arab Cuisine with a Modern Twist. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-62087-747-0.
6. Fatimah (2023-01-11). "Ashta, Middle Eastern Clotted Cream". FalasteeniFoodie. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
7. Kassaify, Z. G.; Najjar, M.; Toufelli, I.; Malek, A. (2010). "Microbiological and chemical profile of Lebanese qishta (heat-coagulated milk)". Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = la Revue de Sante de la Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit. 16 (9): 926–931. PMID 21218717. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
8. Hassan, Hussein F.; Kassaify, Zeina (2014-03-01). "The risks associated with aflatoxins M1 occurrence in Lebanese dairy products". Food Control. 37: 68–72. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.08.022. ISSN 0956-7135.
9. Harb, C., E. Mouannes, M. Bou Zeidan, A. M. Abdel Nour, and L. Hanna-Wakim. "Foodborne pathogens dilemma in the Mediterranean diet: Case of Lebanon." Journal of Food Processing and Technology 11, no. 10.35248 (2020): 2157-7110.
10. Najib, Mustapha, Mohamad Walid Hallab, Karim Hallab, Zaher Hallab, Monzer Hamze, and N. Chihib. "Thermal processing of milk as a main tool in the production of Qishta, Khoa and Kajmak." Journal of Materials and Environmental Sciences Com 11, no. 2 (2020): 294-309.