Covrigi () are Romanian baked goods similar to pretzels. They consist of salted

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

topped with

poppy seed Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the poppy plant (''Papaver somniferum''). 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, ...

s, sesame seeds or large salt grains. They do not usually contain any added sweeteners such as sugar. Covrigi is the plural form of the Romanian word . The wor
kovrig
is a loanword from the Old Bulgarian . Cognate words are found in other Slavic languages, e.g. Russian () meaning "round bread" or ''

korovai The korovai ( ; before the 1956 reform), karavai (modern ; ; ), or kravai ( ) is a traditional Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Russian bread, most often served at weddings, where it has great symbolic meaning. It has remained part of the we ...

''. The

Old East Slavic Old East Slavic (traditionally also Old Russian) was a language (or a group of dialects) used by the East Slavs from the 7th or 8th century to the 13th or 14th century, until it diverged into the Russian language, Russian and Ruthenian language ...

''kovriga'' is mentioned in the

Primary Chronicle The ''Primary Chronicle'', shortened from the common ''Russian Primary Chronicle'' (, commonly transcribed ''Povest' vremennykh let'' (PVL), ), is a Rus' chronicle, chronicle of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110. It is believed to have been or ...

under year 1074. Its ultimate etymological origin is uncertain. Covrigi are a popular snack food in urban areas of Romania and also as a holiday gift in rural areas. The city of

Buzău Buzău (; formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu'') is a city in the historical region of Muntenia, Romania, and the county seat of Buzău County. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carp ...

is known in Romania for its covrigi. Although legend has it that covrigi were introduced by Greek merchants to

in the 19th century to increase consumption of their wine, their similarity to German pretzels and to sfințișori, another Romanian pastry, suggest a much earlier origin.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Covrigi Romanian breads Pretzels Street food ro:Covrig

See also

Notes and references