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Qurabiya

Qurabiya (Gurabija) as a part of Christmas dinner, Serbia
Type	Shortbread
Region or state	Magreb, Middle East, Balkan
Main ingredients	Almond flour, sugar, egg white, vanilla
Media: Qurabiya

Qurabiya (Arabic: غريبة) also ghraybe, ghorayeba, ghoriba, ghribia, ghraïba, gurabija, ghriyyaba,, kurabiye, or kourabiedes (Greek: κουραμπιέδες) and numerous other spellings and pronunciations, is 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.

History

A recipe for a shortbread cookie similar to ghorayebah but without almonds, called in Arabic khushkanānaj gharīb (exotic cookie), is given in the earliest known Arab cookbook, the 10th-century Kitab al-Ṭabīḫ. Kurabiye appears in the Ottoman cuisine in the 15th century.

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 Nişanyan has given an Arabic origin, in his 2009 book of Turkish etymology, from ġurayb or ğarîb (exotic). However, as of 2019, Nişanyan's online dictionary now gives the earliest known recorded use in Turkish as the late 17th century, with an origin from the Persian gulābiya, a cookie made with rose water, from gulāb, related to flowers. He notes that the Syrian Arabic words ġurābiye/ġuraybiye likely derive from the Turkish.

Regional variations

Crimea

Crimean Tatars (indigenous people of Crimea) call cookies "khurabie" (qurabiye, qurabye, къурабье, къурабие).

The Crimean Tatar "kurabye" 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 kurabye as follows: powdered sugar is mixed with ghee, and then flour is added.

The finished "khurabye" is completely sprinkled with powdered sugar on all sides.

Albania

Gurabija

Algeria

Ghribia (Algerian Arabic: غريبية)

• Ghribia with almonds
• Ghribia with peanuts
• Ghribia with walnuts
• Ghribia with pistachios

Armenia

Khourabia (Armenian: Ղուրաբիա) is the Armenian version sometimes referred to in English as Armenian butter cookie or Armenian shortbread cookie. Khourabia 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.

Bulgaria

Kurabii, name of the Bulgarian cuisine and the many varieties of cookie, a popular sweet variety. Especially during the holiday season, and a variety of jams produced via the new year with powdered sugar cookies decorated with cute shapes are called "maslenki".

Greece and Cyprus

The Greek version, called "kourabiedes" or "kourabiethes" (Greek: κουραμπιέδες; plural of kourabies κουραμπιές), resembles a light shortbread, typically made with almonds. Kourabiedes are sometimes made with brandy, usually Metaxa, for flavouring, though vanilla, mastika or rose water are also popular. In some regions of Greece, Christmas kourabiedes are adorned with a single whole spice clove embedded in each biscuit. Kourabiedes 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. Kourabiedes are popular for special occasions, such as Christmas or baptisms.

The Greek word "kourabiedes" comes from the Turkish word kurabiye, which is related to qurabiya, a family of Middle Eastern cookies.

In Cyprus, they are often given as gifts to wedding attendees after the ceremony.

Iran

In Tabriz, Qurabiyas 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.

Kuwait

Variants including:

• Ghoriba with Cardamom
• Ghoriba with pistachio
• Ghoriba with saffron

Levant

• Ghoriba with pistachio
• Ghoriba with Rose water

Libya

Ghraïba Libyan Arabic translation : | غريبة

• Ghoriba with peanuts
• Ghoriba with almonds
• Ghoriba with walnuts

Morocco

Ghoriba (Moroccan Arabic: غْرِيبَة) in Morocco and other parts of the Maghreb, the popular cookies often use semolina instead of white flour, giving a distinctive crunch.

the original Ghriba 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.

• Mlouwza, made with almonds and sugar flavored with orange flower water
• Ghoriba bahla
• Ghoriba dyal zite
• Ghoriba mramla

Saudi Arabia

Ghurēba / Ghrēba (Arabic: غريبة), variants include:

• Ghurēba with pistachio
• Ghurēba with almonds
• Ghurēba with cardamom

Turkey

The word kurabiye is used to refer to a variety of biscuits in Turkey, not necessarily local ones, although various types of local kurabiye are made; including acıbadem kurabiyesi and un kurabiyesi.

Tunisia

Ghraïba (Tunisian Arabic: غريبة)

• Ghraïba bidha, made with wheat flour
• Ghraïba droô, made with sorghum flour
• Ghraïba homs, made with chickpea flour

See also

• Almond cookie
• Un kurabiyesi
• Hallongrotta
• Kavala Almond Cookies
• Murabbalı mecidiye
• Nankhatai
• Osmania Biscuit
• Panellets
• Polvorón
• İzmir Bomb Kurabiye
• Bethmännchen
• Şekerpare
• List of almond dishes
• List of shortbread biscuits and cookies

References

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• Almond cookies
• Azerbaijani desserts
• Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine
• Bulgarian desserts
• Christmas food
• Iranian desserts
• Saudi Arabian desserts
• Shortbread
• Tabriz cuisine
• Armenian desserts
• Turkish desserts
• Arab desserts