Qishta (Arabic: قِشْطَة, romanized: qišṭa, pronounced[qiʃ.tˤa]), also known as kishta, kashta , ghishta, or ashta, is a dairy coagulated milk product prepared from heated fresh milk and consumed as a dessert.[1][2] It is found in Southern Mediterranean cuisines, including Lebanese and Egyptian cuisines.[3] It is sometimes scented with orange flower water.[4] Ashta may be served with fruit, used to fill crêpes and pastries, or served with pistachios and sweet syrups.[5][6] Qishta is "highly perishable" and, if improperly prepared or stored, may be a source of foodborne illness such as listeria.[7][8][9] It is similar to other heat-prepared dairy dishes such as kaymak and khoa.[10]
^Kassaify, Z. G.; Najjar, M.; Toufelli, I.; Malek, A. (2010). "Microbiological and chemical profile of Lebanese qishta (heat-coagulated milk)". Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
^Hassan, Hussein F.; Kassaify, Zeina (2014-03-01). "The risks associated with aflatoxins M1 occurrence in Lebanese dairy products". Food Control. 37: 68–72. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.08.022. ISSN 0956-7135.
^Harb, C., E. Mouannes, M. Bou Zeidan, A. M. Abdel Nour, and L. Hanna-Wakim. "Foodborne pathogens dilemma in the Mediterranean diet: Case of Lebanon." Journal of Food Processing and Technology 11, no. 10.35248 (2020): 2157-7110.
^Najib, Mustapha, Mohamad Walid Hallab, Karim Hallab, Zaher Hallab, Monzer Hamze, and N. Chihib. "Thermal processing of milk as a main tool in the production of Qishta, Khoa and Kajmak." Journal of Materials and Environmental Sciences Com 11, no. 2 (2020): 294-309.