[1][2] The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan,[3] then sweetened with sugar syrup and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squares.

The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd edition) suggests that basbousa might have developed from a dish called ma'mounia, which was created around the 10th century.

[4] Another take on its origin suggests that basbousa was first made during the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire, likely in what is modern-day Turkey, to celebrate the conquest of Armenia.

Basbousa eem Tapuzim: Israeli variation from the coastal region, it is flavored with orange juice.

Aflatoon: South Asian variant, made with semolina, eggs, dry fruits, powder milk, and sugar syrup.