Qurabiya (also ghraybe, ghorayeba, ghoriba ( ar, غريبة), ghribia, ghraïba, or ghriyyaba and numerous other spellings and pronunciations) is a shortbread-type biscuit, usually made with ground almonds. Versions are found in most Arab 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 Arabic coffee is a version of the brewed coffee of ''Coffea arabica'' beans. Most Arab countries throughout the Middle East have developed distinct methods for brewing and preparing coffee. Cardamom is an often-added spice, but it can alternative ...

or Maghrebi mint tea.

History

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

Ottoman cuisine Ottoman cuisine is the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire and its continuation in the cuisines of Turkey, the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East and Northern Africa. Today, Turkish cuisine is a continuation of Ottoman cuisine. Sources The Ottoman pa ...

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 ' or ' (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 ', a cookie made with

rose water Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil Rose oil (rose otto, attar of rose, attar of rose ...

, from ', related to flowers. He notes that the Syrian Arabic words ''/'' likely derive from the Turkish.

Regional variations

Algeria

Ghribia ( arq, غريبية) * Ghribia with almonds * Ghribia with peanuts * Ghribia with walnuts * Ghribia with pistachios

Armenia

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.

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.

Cyprus & Greece

The Greek version, called ''kourabiedes'' or ''kourabiethes'' ( el, κουραμπιέδες; plural of ''kourabies'' ), resembles a light shortbread, typically made with almonds. Kourabiedes are sometimes made with

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

, usually Metaxa, for flavouring, though vanilla, mastika or

are also popular. In some regions of Greece, Christmas kourabiedes are adorned with a single whole spice

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...

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 especially popular for special occasions, such as Christmas or baptisms. though they are popular all year round. The Greek word comes from the Turkish word ''kurabiye'', which is related to qurabiya, a family of Middle Eastern cookies.

Iran

In Tabriz, they are made of

almond flour Almond meal, almond flour or ground almond is made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency is more like corn meal than ...

, sugar,

egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms arou ...

, vanilla,

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was orig ...

and

pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...

. It is served with tea, customarily placed on top of the teacup to make it soft before eating. A Box of Qurabiya by Nobari Confectionary (Tehran, Iran)

Kuwait

Variants including: * Ghoriba with Cardamom * Ghoriba with

* Ghoriba with saffron

Levant

* Ghoriba with

Rose water Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil Rose oil (rose otto, attar of rose, attar of rose ...

Libya

Ghraïba

Libyan Arabic Libyan Arabic ( ar, ليبي, Lībī) is a variety of Arabic spoken mainly in Libya, and neighboring countries. It can be divided into two major dialect areas; the eastern centred in Benghazi and Bayda, and the western centred in Tripoli and M ...

translation : , غربية * Ghoriba with peanuts * Ghoriba with almonds *Ghoriba with walnuts

Morocco

Ghoriba ( 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 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 Orange flower Orange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear aromatic by-product of the distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms for their essential oil. Uses This essential water has traditionally been used as an aromatizer in ...

* Ghoriba bahla * Ghoriba dyal zite * Ghoriba mramla

Turkey

The word ''kurabiye'' is used to refer to a variety of

biscuits A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also b ...

in Turkey, not necessarily local ones, although various types of local ''kurabiye'' are made; including ''

acıbadem kurabiyesi Acıbadem kurabiyesi ( tr, acıbadem kurabiyesi, lit=bitter almond biscuit) is a traditional Turkish biscuit made of almonds, sugar and egg whites. The traditional recipes include a small amount of bitter almonds, which gives this cookie it ...

'' and ''un kurabiyesi''.

Tunisia

Ghraïba ( aeb, غريبة) * Ghraïba bidha, made with wheat flour * Ghraïba droô, made with

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

flour * Ghraïba homs, made with chickpea flour

References

{{Nut confections Almond cookies Azerbaijani desserts Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Bulgarian desserts Christmas food Iranian desserts Shortbread Tabriz cuisine Armenian desserts Turkish desserts Arab desserts