Jachnun

Yemen — a Yemenite Jewish Shabbat bread tradition; carried to Israel by the mass immigration of Yemenite Jews in 1949–50 (Operation Magic Carpet); now widely available in Israeli markets on Saturday mornings

Yemen's most labour-intensive bread is a slow-baked, laminated pastry roll made from a simple enriched dough of flour, margarine or fat, and a touch of honey — rolled into thin sheets, coated with fat, folded, and slowly baked overnight (or for 8–10 hours at very low heat, 100–110°C) in a sealed pot until it transforms from pale dough into dark brown, flaky, caramelised layers with an almost toffee-like sweetness from the Maillard reactions of the slow sugar caramelisation. Jachnun is a Yemenite Jewish Shabbat tradition — assembled Friday afternoon and placed in a pot in a low oven to bake through the night, ready for Saturday morning breakfast without any violation of Shabbat cooking prohibitions. Served with grated fresh tomato (saluf), zhug (green chilli paste), and a hard-boiled egg cooked alongside in the pot.

Saturday morning breakfast: jachnun with grated fresh tomato, zhug, and a slow-cooked egg; Israeli Jerusalem markets (Mahane Yehuda) sell it fresh from the pot on Saturday mornings; pairs with black tea or coffee; the sweetness of jachnun is the backdrop against which the heat of zhug and acid of tomato play