Do you know where jalebi originates from and who introduced it to India? Jalebi is a popular sweet snack in the Indian subcontinent, 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. Jalebi is made by deep-frying a wheat flour batter into pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. It is eaten with curd or rabri (in North India) along with optional other flavors such as kewra (scented water). In some West Asian cuisines, jalebi may consist of a yeast dough fried and then dipped in a syrup of honey and rose water. The North African dish of Zalabia uses a different batter and a syrup of honey called ʻasal and rose water. Brief History The earliest known recipe of this food comes from the 10th century in the Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq. In the 13th ...