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Exploring Middle Eastern Influence On Greek Cuisine Through Ravani [Recipe]

Jessica Festa

By Margarita Anastasiou

Ravani is a semolina cake drenched in luscious sweet syrup with Middle Eastern roots. The treat has many variations all over Greece, Turkey and the Middle East, and has been a very popular dessert in Turkey since Ottoman Period.

Some make it with coconut flakes, others add almonds, and in Greece we do both; but what makes it so special is the beautiful and aromatic spices we add.

We add masticha.

Masticha is originally from a small and picturesque island of Greece called Chios. The collection of mastic drops is hard labor, but it’s a labor of love. Its unique aromas and taste — similar to pine and cedar — make it popular around the world.

I was first introduced to ravani as a child. As a little girl, I was always spending time in the kitchen. Being my parents’ “little helper” made me feel so special. Ravani was one of my favorite dishes to make — I was always so excited and impatient to see the results which, by the way, were always the same: delicious! The treat has many steps; however, the execution is luckily very easy. Moreover, the typical recipe can be amended as you’ll see below.

The Greeks from Istanbul have one specific recipe, and that’s where I got inspired from. These people are amazing cooks with great knowledge of spices and desserts. The cuisine of Istanbul is a combination of different cultures, like Jewish, Middle Eastern and Greek. Since the Byzantine Period, the Greeks of Istanbul were better cooks than the rest of us. Their style of cooking is focused on comfort, with beautiful aromatic spices mainly influenced by Turkey.

As a gluten intolerant I had to substitute the semolina with almond flour, and coconut flakes with the hint of orange. Fluffy, aromatic and topped with luscious pastry cream, this is a heavenly dessert!

Ingredients:

6 eggs
4.5 oz sugar
3 oz almond flour
2.4 oz gluten free all purpose flour
1.7 oz unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the syrup:

8.8 oz sugar
7.5 water
1 oz honey
an orange peel
1 teaspoon mastic powder or 7 oz mastic liqueur

For the pastry cream:

3 egg yolks
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mastic powder or 1 tablespoon mastic liqueur
1 teaspoon orange zest.

Directions:

Make the pastry cream first:

To make the cake:

For the syrup:

*All photos courtesy of Margarita Anastasiou

About The Author

Rita Anastasiou, a born and raised Greek, mother and Las Vegas resident, loves and understands international flavor combinations that are fresh and unusual. She’s studied Hospitality, Culinary Arts and HACCP in Greece and used to be a professional cook in hotels like Athenaeum Intercontinental, as well as breweries and restaurants in the center of Athens with contemporary cuisine. As a gluten intolerant she’s learned not to be afraid of food experiments and be open to all kind of flavor combinations. Follow her blog, Gluten Free Home Bakery.

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Jessica Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you don’t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.
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