The journey of “angel hair” (kataifi) from a staple of Middle Eastern street food (Kunafa) to a French Christmas log is a fascinating tale of culinary adaptation. Traditionally, kataifi is soaked in syrup and layered with cheese or nuts, served hot and gooey. Picard has adapted this ingredient for a cold, frozen application, which presents significant technical challenges.
To keep the pastry crisp in a frozen, creamy environment, it must be encapsulated in fat—usually cocoa butter or the oil from the pistachio paste. This creates a microscopic raincoat around each strand of dough, preventing it from absorbing the water in the mousse. This innovation allows the “Kunafa effect”—that delightful crunch—to exist inside a French entremets.
At €28.99, this product pays homage to its roots while establishing a new identity. It introduces the Western palate to the joys of shredded phyllo dough without the intense sweetness of traditional syrup-soaked desserts. It focuses on the texture of the dough rather than its absorbency.
This evolution shows how ingredients can be re-contextualized. In the Middle East, kataifi is warm and syrupy. In this log, it is cold and chocolatey. Both are delicious, but they offer completely different experiences.
Picard’s log is a bridge between these two worlds. It brings the genius of Middle Eastern pastry texture to the table of Western holiday tradition. It is a delicious example of culinary evolution in action.