thumb|Jalebi being prepared by a street vendor in [[Bangalore, India]]
Jalebi is a common sweet snack in South Asia, West Asia and some parts of Africa. It goes by many names, including jilapi, zelepi, jilebi, jilipi, zulbia, zoolbia, jerry, mushabak, z'labia, or zalabia.
The south Asian variety is made by deep-frying maida flour (plain flour or all-purpose flour) batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. Jalebi is eaten with curd or rabri (in North India) along with optional other flavors such as kewra (pandanus flower essence).
In some west Asian cuisines, jalebi may consist of yeast dough fried and then dipped in a syrup of honey and rose water. North African zalabia uses a different batter and a syrup of honey (Arabic: ʻasal) and rose water.
History
thumb|Jalebi batter being dropped in hot oil in [[Howrah, West Bengal, India]]
The earliest known recipe of this food comes from the 10th century in the Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh (English: The Book of Dishes) by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq. In the 13th century Abbasid Caliphate, a cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi mentioned a similar dish.
According to the Hobson-Jobson (1903) historical dictionary, the word jalebi is derived from the Arabic word zulabiya, or the Persian zolbiya. According to the Indian ambassador Nagma Malik, jalebi might have started life in Turkey and then arrived in Tunisia long ago before making its way to India. Others claim that it was created by a musician during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, Abdourrahman Ibnou Nafaâ Ziriab, who made a prolonged stop over in Tunisia while traveling from Baghdad to Andalusia.
It has been suggested that the American funnel cake is derived from the Arab and Persian cuisine, brought by German emigrants and called Drechterkuche.
Regional varieties
Central Asia
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, Jalebi is a popular dessert. There are some slight differences between Afghan Jalebi and other variants. The Afghan Jalebi does not use any food coloring in contrast to the Indian and Pakistani variants and so is usually yellow and not orange in color. The Afghan Jalebi is also thinner. It is a popular dessert that is commonly consumed in households and at public events such as weddings or festivals. Jalebi is oftentimes served with green tea. There is also a popular song from the Bollywood film Phantom named Afghan Jalebi.
Indian subcontinent
India
thumb|Jalebis for sale at a shop during [[Ratha Yatra festival in West Bengal, India]]
Jalebi made from khoya or mawa, was invented by Harprasad Badkul, in the year 1889, in Jabalpur.
In Norman Chevers book, A Manual of Medical Jurisprudence for India (1870, page 178) mentions "jelabees" as a historical way of poisoning prisoners in India in the 1800s.
Nepal
In Nepal, it is known as Jerry, a word derived from Jangiri and the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. People usually eat Jerry with Swari, a very thin fried bread like Puri (food). It is often eaten in morning with Nepali Masala chiya.
West Asia
Iran
It is known as (زولبیا) in Iran, although when translated into English, the spelling has alternatives and can include , , , , and others. In addition to being sweetened with honey and sugar, zoolbias in Iran is also flavoured with saffron or rose water. Often in Iran, zoolbia is served with Persian-style black tea alongside a similar dessert with a different "egg" shape, bamiyeh. These desserts are commonly served during Ramadan month as one of the main elements eaten after fasting.
In Iran, where it is known as zolbiya, the sweet was traditionally given to the poor during Ramadan. A 10th century cookbook gives several recipes for zulubiya. There are several surviving 13th century recipes for the sweetmeat, the most widely accepted being that mentioned in a cookbook by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi. and Iraq.
These are fried dough foods, including types similar to doughnuts. Zalābiya are made from a batter composed of eggs, yeasted flour, and milk, and then cooked in oil. They are made by a zalbāni. Unlike jalebi, the West Asian variety may have a different shape, more like a free-form doughnut or a ball (but this is depending on the exact region and culture), and it may contain cinnamon, lemon, and powdered sugar. In Yemen, the manner of preparing the zalabiyeh differed from the variety of jalebi made in the Indian sub-continent, insofar that the Indian variety was dipped in syrup,
Zalābiyeh is first mentioned in a 10th-century Arabic cookbook by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, a book later translated by Nawal Nasrallah. Ernest A Hamwi, a Syrian immigrant to the United States, is believed to have used the Persian version zalabia as an early ice cream cone. In Algeria, the Zlabia of Boufarik, which is less greasy than the others and moderately sweet, is particularly successful.
Ethiopia
Mushabak or Mushabaka is a popular food mainly in the Oromo region. It comes in different shapes and sizes and is usually bathed with sugar syrup or honey. Mushabaka is normally baked red. It is often served at celebrations and other social events.
Mauritius
thumb|163x163px|Hot Mauritian jalebi, also known as "Gato Moutaille"
In Mauritius, jalebi are known as "Gateau Moutaille"; they are of Indian origin.
Recipe variations
They are often stick shaped. They are eaten year-round, including in expatriate communities such as in France, although they are especially popular during Ramadan celebrations.<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Jalebi, sweet food at Wikipedia's 16th Birthday celebration in Chittagong (01).jpg|Jilapi in Bangladesh, generally consumed as a sweetmeat, is a popular starter at social events.
File:Jilapi1.JPG|Shahi jilapi, meaning King's jilapi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the largest form of the dessert.
File:Zoolbia Bamieh.JPG|Zulbiā and bāmieh in Iran
File:Jalebi-Rabdi.jpg|Jalebi dipped in rabri
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See also
- Lakhamari