Sfenj

Sfenj
Alternative namesBambalouni, khfaf, sfinz
TypeDoughnut
Place of originMaghreb
Main ingredientsFlour, water, sugar, yeast and salt
Food energy
(per serving)
137 kcal (574 kJ)[1]
Nutritional value
(per serving)
Protein2 g
Fat8 g
Carbohydrate14 g

Sfenj (from the Arabic word Arabic: سفنج, romanized: Safanj, meaning sponge) is a Maghrebi doughnut: a light, spongy ring of dough fried in oil. Sfenj is eaten plain, sprinkled with sugar, or soaked in honey. It is a well-known dish in the Maghreb and is traditionally made and sold early in the morning for breakfast or in the late afternoon accompanied by tea—usually Maghrebi mint tea—or coffee.[2] The term Sfenj is used in Algeria and other parts of the Maghreb. It is called bambalouni in Tunisia,[3] and Sfenj in Libya.[4] In Morocco, the term "Sfenj" is used, also sometimes nicknamed in the literature "Moroccan doughnuts".[5][6][7] It is also called Khfaf or ftayr in Algeria,[8][9][10] and is sometimes also dubbed as the "Algerian doughnut".[11][12]

  1. ^ Benlafouih, Caroline. "Sfenj Recipe - Moroccan Doughnuts or Fritters". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Sfenj" سفنج. طبخ.org (in Arabic). tabkh maghribi. 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Recette de Bambalouni - Sfenj". Chahia Tayba (in French). 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  4. ^ Hamza, Umm (9 April 2015). "SFINZ / SFENJ". Halal Home Cooking. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  5. ^ Ahmed Chouari (27 July 2021). "Memories of Jewish-Muslim Co-existence in the new Mellaḥ of Meknes and Jewish Heritage Conservation in Post-Colonial Morocco". In Joseph Chetrit; Jane S. Gerber; Drora Arussy (eds.). Jews and Muslims in Morocco, Their Intersecting Worlds. Lexington Books. p. 382. ISBN 9781793624932.
  6. ^ Gordon Rock (30 April 2020). A King's Feast: 40 Aromatic and Exotic Moroccan Recipes - The Best Cookbook to Celebrate Moroccan Independence Day.
  7. ^ Copeland Marks (1994). The Great Book of Couscous: Classic Cuisines of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. the University of Virginia. p. 62-63. ISBN 9781556114205.
  8. ^ Bouksani, Louisa (1989). Gastronomie Algérienne. Alger, Ed. Jefal. p. 184.
  9. ^ Nas E. Boutammina (2022). Le numide, langue populaire de la Berbérie. BoD - Books on Demand. p. 77. ISBN 978-2-322-41710-0.
  10. ^ Scheherazade, Jawahir (24 November 2014). "Sfenj à la farine". Joyaux Sherazade (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Sfenj – Algerian doughnuts". Miam Miam & Yum. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  12. ^ Stephanou, Marina (17 February 2021). "Sfenj (Doughnut): the Sweet Sensation of Algeria's Cross-Cultural Cuisine". pan-African. Retrieved 8 April 2022.