Artopolis Bakery, Cafe & Agora, Chicago's West Loop

[womanbread]

Hi - I'm wondering if anyone can help me. There's a Greek ring-shaped butter cookie with sesame seeds (and sometimes almonds were added in) that my grandmother used to make when we were kids, that she always referred to as something that sounded like 'kloothia' or 'kloothya.' I doubt that's the spelling of it - is it 'koulouria' the word that she meant? And is it pronounced 'kloothya'?

[skordalia18]

@womanbread

Yes they were koulouria. She might have been from a village or an island and might have a special accent. Koulouria is a general term for all round cookies and every place in Greece have their own version. I had them with sesamies and I love them

[womanbread]

Thanks very much. My 'nuna' was from Ioannina, a beautiful looking part of Greece that I would love to visit one day. Are 'koulouria' and 'koulourakia' variations of the same thing, then? I read on an excellent Greek cooking blog that 'koulouria' are the softer, breadier type, while 'koulourakia' are the harder, crunchier, crumblier 'cookie' type of snack. Maybe my grandmother meant 'koulourakia' but always referred to her cookies as 'kloothya' (koulouria). Thanks again.

[superbrawl18]

@womanbread

"Koulourakia" are small cookies "akia" at the end. The sesame ones are usually the holiday cookies during christmas or easter, Some have anise inside some orange zest, some plain butter, So many greek cookies too little time. When there is such an ancient culture there is an abandonce of recepies. And all the Greek women try to out-due the other I will fly to Greece just for the food.

[womanbread]

You're so fortunate to have been to Greece. I've yet to visit there, but I know one day I will definitely be able to. My nuna put anise in her 'kloothya' (I can still actually hear her saying that word from all my childhood memories...wonderful, they were). She also loved making bourekyas (or borekas, as a lot of people spell it), made with spinach, feta and farmer cheeses, or with2 or 3 different cheeses (pot cheese, farmer cheese, feta). Absolutely delicious they were, too. Opaa!

[alfonsina77]

i love the fruit tart

[ntgr]

Greetings from Greece :)

[LoveMyPhilly]

So many to choose from, so little time