Koulourakia (Greek cuisine) : Koulourakia (in Greek: κουλουράκια, IPA: [kuluˈraca]; singular: κουλουράκι) is a dessert Greek traditional, generally prepared at the time of Easter to be consumed after Holy Saturday.
Koulourakia are made from a dough with butter, traditionally molded shaped like a hand, with a icing au Egg yolk on top. They have a sweet, delicate flavor with a hint of vanilla. Koulourakia are well known for their sprinkling of sesame seeds and their distinctive ring shape.
In fact, the word is the diminutive form of a pain or a ring-shaped lifebuoy.
Pastries can be shaped into braided circles, hairpin twists, figure eights, twisted crowns, horseshoes, or Greek letters, although they are still often snake-shaped. Often, a clove is added to the center of the dough for added flavor. They are generally consumed with coffee in the morning or tea of the afternoon. Like all pâtisseries, they are normally preserved dry in a jar with a locking lid.
History of koulourakia: Koulourakia have been prepared since at least the time of the Minoan civilization. The Minoans (*) sometimes prepared pâtisseries like little serpents, because they worshiped the serpent for its healing powers.
(*) The Minoan civilization is an ancient civilization that developed on the islands of Crete, Santorini and probably on a large part of the Aegean Sea, south of Greece from 2700 to 1200 BC. J.-C.
See also:
Easter cookie – An English Easter pastry
Cantucci. An Italian cookie.