are a shortbread-type biscuit, usually made with ground almonds. Versions are found in most Arab, Balkan and Ottoman cuisines, with various different forms and recipes. They are similar to polvorones from Andalusia.
In the Maghreb and Egypt, they are often served with Libyan tea, Arabic coffee or Maghrebi mint tea.
A recipe for a shortbread cookie similar to ghorayebah but without almondsâÂÂcalled in Arabic (âÂÂexotic cookieâÂÂ)âÂÂis given in the earliest known Arab cookbook, the 10th-century Kitab al-Ṭabëḫ. The term appears in Ottoman cuisine in the 15th century. Proceedings of the 8th International Congress of Orientalists from 1889 describe Syrian ghraybe as a type of ma'amoul, shaped into small rings or hexagonal star-like forms, with no nut filling and a high butter content. They also described Egyptian ghurayba as a white, round biscuit-like cookie.
There is some debate about the origin of the words. Some give no other origin for the Turkish word kurabiye than Turkish, while others have given Arabic or Persian. Among others, linguist Sevan Nià Âanyan has given an Arabic origin, in his 2009 book of Turkish etymology, from ' or ' (exotic). However, as of 2019, Nià Âanyan's online dictionary now gives the earliest known recorded use in Turkish as the late 17th century, with an origin from the Persian ', a cookie made with rose water, from ', related to flowers. He notes that the Syrian Arabic words / derived from the Turkish. Syrian historian Khayr al-Din al-Asadi attributes a Turkish origin to the word ghraiba used in Syrian Arabic. According to food historian Gil Marks, ghraybeh is of Arabic origin.
Crimean Tatars call cookies (, , , ).
The Crimean Tatar has many forms, but basically it looks like a rhombus, or a combination of two or three rhombuses to form a flower, or it is cut in the shape of a crescent.
Crimean Tatars prepare as follows: powdered sugar is mixed with ghee, and then flour is added.
The finished is completely sprinkled with powdered sugar on all sides.
Kurabie.
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() is the Armenian version sometimes referred to in English as Armenian butter cookie or Armenian shortbread cookie. was traditionally made with three ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour and usually shaped like bread, wheat ear, or horse shoe signifying health, wealth, and prosperity. It was mostly eaten during the Easter, Christmas and new year celebrations. Later, more ingredients were added, like eggs, cinnamon, and walnuts.
in Bosnia is characterized by a sugar cube in the middle. In some regions, sugar is replaced by syrup from boiled indigenous fruits. In Tuzla, they are often prepared with apple molasses. are typically served with Bosnian coffee.
While the meal is mostly associated with the Muslim Bosniaks, a variant called is also made by the Catholic Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the area of Duvno.
, a Bulgarian variety, is typically shaped into balls and dipped in coarse sugar before baking. It is especially popular during the holiday season. It is often stored in tightly closed containers for later use.
The Greek version, called "" or "" (; plural of ), resembles a light shortbread, typically made with almonds. are sometimes made with brandy, usually Metaxa, for flavouring, though vanilla, mastika or rose water are also popular. In some regions of Greece, Christmas are adorned with a single whole spice clove embedded in each biscuit. are shaped either into crescents or balls, then baked till slightly golden. They are usually rolled in icing sugar while still hot, forming a rich butter-sugar coating. are popular for special occasions, such as Christmas or baptisms.
The Greek word "" comes from the Turkish word , which is related to , a family of Middle Eastern cookies.
In Cyprus, they are often given as gifts to wedding attendees after the ceremony.
In Tabriz, are made of almond flour, sugar, egg white, vanilla, margarine and a topping of coarsely crushed pistachio and almond. It is served by itself or with tea, customarily placed on top of the teacup to make it soft before eating.
Variants including:
Levantine is traditionally made for Eid alongside ma'amoul, it is made from flour or semolina flour, sugar, and samneh (clarified butter), and traditionally flavored with rose water or orange flower water, and garnished with a single piece of pistachio. A cookbook published in 1885 by in Beirut titled provided several recipes for (), the recipe called for baking a batter of , sugar, rose water, and semolina.
The cookie is known as in Libya (), common Libyan varieties include:
(Moroccan Arabic: ) in Morocco and other parts of the Maghreb, the popular cookies often use semolina instead of white flour, giving a distinctive crunch.
The original is made from flour and flavored with lemon or orange zest and cinnamon, this sweet is usually served at parties, accompanied by mint tea or coffee. is a Moroccan variation of .
/ (Arabic: ), variants include:
has been a part of Serbian cuisine since medieval times. It is typically sweetened with honey. A variety called is associated with Eastern Orthodox monasteries.
The word is used to refer to a variety of biscuits in Turkey, not necessarily local ones, although various types of local kurabiye are made; including acñbadem kurabiyesi and .
The 1844 Ottoman Turkish cookbook Melceü't-Tabbâhîn provided a recipe for (translated as "Almond cake" in the English edition), which describes "macaroon" sized almond "cakes" of ground almonds, eggs, sugar and spices.
Flour () is a variety of made with flour, typically made into an S-shape. Typically served alongside tea or Turkish coffee, during social gatherings, holidays, and family visits. It is also commonly seen in Turkish patisseries. Flour are associated with Turkish home baking traditions. They are also known as Turkish shortbread. They are rolled into logs, sliced, and baked until just barely set.
Savory , also known as , are made with similar methods in Turkish cuisine. Savory are often flavored with vinegar and topped with sesame or nigella seeds.
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