Qurabiya




Qurabiya, also ghorayeba, ghoriba, ghraybeh, kurabiye, or kourabiedes 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 —is given in the earliest known Arab cookbook, the 10th-century Kitab al-Ṭabīḫ.
The term kurabiye appears in Ottoman cuisine in the 15th century. A cookbook published in 1885 by in Beirut titled Ustadh al-Tabbakhin provided several recipes for ghraiba. 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.

Etymology

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 ' or '. 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 ', 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.

Regional variations

Crimea

call cookies khurabie.
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

Kurabie.

Algeria

Ghribia
Khourabia 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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Gurabija 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. Gurabije are typically served with Bosnian coffee.

Bulgaria

Kurabii, 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.

Croatia

Gurabija is often enjoyed during Christmas in Croatia. Duvanjska gurabija is the most common variety there.

Greece and Cyprus

The Greek version, called "kourabiedes" or "kourabiethes", 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 "" 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:
Levantine ghraybeh is traditionally made for Eid alongside ma'amoul, it is made from flour or semolina flour, sugar, and samneh, and traditionally flavored with rose water or orange flower water, and garnished with a single piece of pistachio.

Libya

The cookie is known as ghraïba in Libya, common Libyan varieties include:
  • Ghoriba with peanuts
  • Ghoriba with almonds
  • Ghoriba with walnuts

    Morocco

Ghoriba 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. Ghoriba bahla is a Moroccan variation of ghoriba.
  • Mlouwza, made with almonds and sugar flavored with orange flower water
  • Ghoriba dyal zite
  • Ghoriba mramla

    Saudi Arabia

Ghurēba / Ghrēba, variants include:
  • Ghurēba with pistachio
  • Ghurēba with almonds
  • Ghurēba with cardamom

    Serbia

Gurabija has been a part of Serbian cuisine since medieval times. It is typically sweetened with honey. A variety called Hilandarska gurabija is associated with Eastern Orthodox monasteries.

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.
Un kurabiyesi is a variety of kurabiye made with flour in place of semolina, typically made into an S-shape.

Tunisia

Ghraïba