This very special time of the year, aromas (smells), tastes and flavors, remind us our warm childhood memories. In Greece food is strongly connected with almost every good and bad moments and Christmas festive is celebrated traditional in the whole country, with many different recipes “kaloudia”, from east to west, in the mainland and the islands.
Melomakarona or Phoenikia
The most traditional and typical of all Greek Christmas sweets, that can be found in all Greek households, during the holiday festive of Christmas.
Melomakarona is a kind of a cookie made with olive oil, flour, honey, and lemon. The addition of cinnamon and walnuts makes them unique.
The origin of the cookie is coming from the Ancient Greece. Ancient Greeks at funerals, would eat a barley mixture called “makaria” (rest in peace).
“Makaria” transformed to the cookie we know today, through the years. With the addition of Greek honey (meli in Greek), to the cookie, gives us the new name “melomakarona”.
During the twelve days of Christmas festive, this sweet had become one of the most popular delicacy eaten. Greeks who lived in Asia Minor also ate this delicacy but gave them the name “Phoenikia” (from the Greek Fenix).
One of most famous Christmas sweet cookies.
Kourabiedes are delicious cookies (shortbread-type) made with butter, flour and powdered sugar on top, filled with almonds.
“Kourabiedes” word refer to this type of cookies and is origin comes from the Turkish word “kurabiye”, which itself was borrowed from the Arabic word “qurabiya”. Biscuits like “Kourabiedes” are made across the Balkans and the Middle East.
Make your own homemade Melomakarona and Kourabiedes following the detailed recipes in the link below:
Photo credit: Bovary.gr