Barazek

Barazeq

Type	cookie
Place of origin	Levant
Region or state	Al-Midan, Damascus, Syria[1]
Main ingredients	flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, sesame

Barazek or barazeq (Arabic: برازق, romanized: barāzeq) is a Syrian cookie whose main ingredient is sesame (Arabic: سمسم, romanized: sumsum) and often also contain pieces of pistachio. It probably originated during Ottoman rule^[2] in the Syrian capital, Damascus, particularly in the Al-Midan neighborhood,^[3] although today it is so popular that it can be found in most pastry shops throughout the Levantine area (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Syria) and beyond.^[4] It is also one of the more traditional Palestinian desserts and it is easy to find stalls selling barazek on the streets of Jerusalem.^[5]

The barazeq made in the Old City of Jerusalem are, unlike the cookie shaped barazeq found elsewhere, large, very thin and flat, and made in wood fired ovens. They are most popular during Ramadan.^[6][7][8]

Barazeq is considered one of the most famous Syrian desserts and has a multitude of variants. All include flour, butter, sugar, and sesame; some may also include egg, milk, pistachios, honey, mahleb, yeast, and vanilla, as well as clarified butter (samneh) instead of regular butter. It has a sweet, buttery and nutty flavor, and a crisp and brittle texture.