Koulourakia

Last updated
Koulourakia
Koulourakia.jpg
Koulourakia
Alternative namesEaster biscuits
Type Pastry
Course Dessert
Place of origin Greece
Region or stateGreece, Pontos
Serving temperatureHot or cold
Main ingredients Butter

Koulourakia [lower-alpha 1] or Koulouria, [lower-alpha 2] or kerkele in Pontic Greek, [1] are a traditional Greek dessert, typically made around Easter [2] to be eaten after Holy Saturday.

Contents

They are a butter-based pastry, traditionally hand-shaped, with egg glaze on top. They have a sweet delicate flavor with a hint of vanilla. Koulourakia are well known for their sprinkle of sesame seeds and distinctive ring shape. [2] In fact, the word is the diminutive form for a ring-shaped loaf or roll.[ citation needed ]

The pastries can be shaped into braided circles, [3] hairpin twists, figure eights, twisted wreaths, horseshoes or Greek letters, although they are still often shaped into a snake style. Often, a clove is added atop the center of the pastry for added flavor. They are commonly eaten with morning coffee or afternoon tea. Like all pastries, they are normally kept in dry conditions in a jar with a lockable lid.

History

Koulourakia have been prepared since at least the time of the Minoan civilization. [4] The Minoans sometimes prepared the pastries like small snakes, because they worshiped the snake for its healing powers.[ citation needed ]

See also

Footnotes

  1. (Greek: Κουλουράκια, IPA: [Kuluˈraca] ; singular: Greek: Κουρουλάκι, romanized: Koulouráki)
  2. (Greek: Κουλούρια, IPA: [Kuluˈra] ; singular: Greek: Κουλούρι, romanized: Kouloúri)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doughnut</span> Sweet food made from deep-fried dough

A doughnut or donut is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors. Doughnut is the traditional spelling, while donut is the simplified version; the terms are used interchangeably.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian cuisine</span> Culinary tradition

Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe. This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.

Albanian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of the Mediterranean. It is also an example of the Mediterranean diet based on the importance of olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish. The cooking traditions of the Albanian people are diverse in consequence of the environmental factors that are more importantly suitable for the cultivation of nearly every kind of herbs, vegetables and fruits. Olive oil is the most ancient and commonly used vegetable fat in Albanian cooking, produced since antiquity throughout the country particularly along the coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marzipan</span> Confection of sugar, honey and almond flour

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruller</span> Deep-fried pastry like a doughnut

A cruller is a deep-fried pastry popular in parts of Europe and North America. Regarded as a form of cake doughnut in the latter, it is typically either made of a string of dough that is folded over and twisted twice to create its signature shape, or formed from a rectangle of dough with a cut in the center allowing it to be pulled over and through itself to produce distinctive twists in the sides of the pastry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Jewish communities around the world

Jewish cuisine refers to the worldwide cooking traditions of the Jewish people. During its evolution over the course of many centuries, it has been shaped by Jewish dietary laws (kashrut), Jewish festivals and holidays, and traditions centred around Shabbat. Jewish cuisine is influenced by the economics, agriculture, and culinary traditions of the many countries where Jewish communities have settled and varies widely throughout the entire world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel wings</span> Sweet crisp pastry

Angel wings are a traditional sweet crisp pastry made out of dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Common to many European cuisines, angel wings have been incorporated into other regional cuisines by immigrant populations. They are most commonly eaten in the period just before Lent, often during Carnival and on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent—not to be confused with "Fat Tuesday", the day before the start of Lent. There is a tradition in some countries for husbands to give angel wings to their wives on Friday the 13th in order to avoid bad luck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaktoboureko</span> Custard-filled pastry

Galaktoboureko is a Greek, Turkish, Albanian, Laz, and Syrian dessert of custard baked in filo. Lazi Laz böreği is made with a type of pudding called muhallebi instead of semolina custard. It is popular In the Rize and Artvin provinces in Turkey's Black Sea Region, indigenous home of Laz people. In Albania it's a dessert traditionally prepared during the Orthodox Easter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypriot cuisine</span>

Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine of the island of Cyprus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buñuelo</span> Fried dough ball

A buñuelo (Spanish:[buˈɲwelo], alternatively called boñuelo, bimuelo, birmuelo, bermuelo, bumuelo, burmuelo, or bonuelo, is a fried dough fritter found in Spain, Latin America, and other regions with a historical connection to Spaniards, including Southwest Europe, the Balkans, Anatolia, and other parts of Asia and North Africa. Buñuelos are traditionally prepared at Christmas. It will usually have a filling or a topping. In Mexican cuisine, it is often served with a syrup made with piloncillo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manjar blanco</span> Term used in Spanish-speaking area of the world in reference to milk-based delicacies

The manjar blanco, known in Catalan as menjar blanc or menjablanc, is a term used in Spanish- and Catalan- speaking areas of the world in reference to a variety of milk-based delicacies. It refers to variations of blancmange, a European delicacy found in various parts of the continent as well as the United Kingdom.

<i>Kransekage</i> Traditional Danish and Norwegian confection

kransekage or Kransekake (Norwegian) is a traditional Danish and Norwegian confection, often eaten on special occasions in Scandinavia. In English, the name means 'wreath cake'. In Norway it is alternatively referred to as tårnkake and often prepared for Constitution Day celebrations, Christmas, weddings, and baptisms. In Denmark it is typically eaten as part of New Year celebrations, while a variation of the cake, overflødighedshorn, is traditionally served at weddings and baptisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cozonac</span> Sweet leavened bread, traditional to Romania and Bulgaria

Cozonac or Kozunak is a sweet yeast dough that can be used to make different traditional holiday breads and cakes. Often mixed with raisins, it can be baked as a loaf or rolled out with fillings like poppy seed or walnuts. It is common throughout Southeastern Europe in countries such as Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia and Greece. Rich in eggs, milk and butter, it is usually prepared for Easter in Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and in Romania and Moldova it is also traditional for Good Friday, in a simplified version with vegan ingredients, without eggs or milk - named Cozonac de post - to be eaten by Christians during lent. The name comes from the Bulgarian word for hair-коса/kosa, or Greek: κοσωνάκι, romanized: kosōnáki, a diminutive form of κοσώνα, kosṓna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy seed</span> Edible oilseed obtained from poppy

Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the poppy plant. The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, especially in Central Europe and South Asia, where it is legally grown, used in food products and sold in shops. The seeds are used whole or ground into meal as an ingredient in many foods – especially in pastry and bread – and they are pressed to yield poppyseed oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushki</span> Small, crunchy, mildly sweet bread rings

Sushki are traditional Eastern European small, crunchy, mildly sweet bread rings eaten for dessert, usually with tea or coffee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easter food</span> Food associated with Easter holiday

The holiday of Easter is associated with various Easter customs and foodways. Preparing, coloring, and decorating Easter eggs is one such popular tradition. Lamb is eaten in many countries, mirroring the Jewish Passover meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snack</span> Small food portions consumed outside of the main meals of the day

A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. A snack is often less than 200 calories, but this can vary. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home.

References

  1. "Easter in Pontus". Pontos World.
  2. 1 2 Lubbers, Caroline (April 17, 2018). "Greek Easter cookies (Koulourakia)". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  3. "See what's for dessert at LI Greek festivals". Newsday. May 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  4. Rodale, Maria (April 25, 2016). "Koulouria--A Traditional Greek Dessert". HuffPost. Retrieved June 25, 2018.