RAMALLAH, July 18 (KUNA) -- Nablus city entered the Guinness Book of World Records by preparing the largest "kunafa" dessert dish in the world during the city's annual shopping festival, held July 15 to August 15.
The kunafa dish was prepared by a Palestinian company in the northern West Bank city of Nablus after obtaining the approval of the Guinness Book of World Records.
The plate of the Palestinian delicacy was 75 meters long and two meters wide, and weighed 1,765 kilograms, said Muhannad Al-Rabi, director of the Palestinian Company for Real Estate Development and Construction.
The largest-ever kunafa was created to revive Nablus as the business capital of Palestine, especially as it suffered from the strict blockade since the uprising in 2000, which affected all forms of life there.
The giant kunafa was prepared using 600 kilograms of white cheese, 300 kilograms of sugar, 700 kilograms of dough, 35 kilograms of pistachios, and six tins of cooking fat in front of the municipally complex at a cost of about USD 15,000.
A total of 120 stands were used to hold the kunafa plate and 22 gas cylinders were used to cook it.
Several Nablus confectionaries and other sponsors covered the expenses of the project and prepared the kunafa, which was expected to be enough to feed some 6,000 people, Al-Rabi said.
Nablus is famous for kunafa-making, which is an art passed on from one generation to the next. The city is also known for its historical sites and ruins which were destroyed by the Israelis in 2002 when they occupied the Palestinian city.
The festival was inaugurated by the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayadh and a number of Arab and foreign ambassadors. (end) nq.mar KUNA 181311 Jul 09NNNN