Qurs simsim (قُرْص سِمْسِم, plural aqras simsim, أقراص سِمْسِم) is a type of sweet cookie widely distributed in the countries of the Levant, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf region. The name can be literally translated as “sesame disk” or “sesame bun”.
The cookie has a distinctive taste thanks to the spices used, a crumbly texture, and a rich layer of sesame seeds on the surface.
The exact place of origin cannot be determined with certainty, as recipes have spread for centuries along trade routes between Mesopotamia and the Levant. The pastry is not exclusively an Iraqi specialty, although it has a very strong tradition in Iraq. Qurs simsim represents a broader family of Arab tea pastries.
The main ingredients include plain flour, sugar, fat (traditionally clarified butter ghee or vegetable oil), and eggs. The uniqueness of this pastry comes from a specific spice blend added directly to the dough. Ground cardamom is most often used, bringing a citrus-woody aroma. Other key components are ground anise and fennel. Bakers sprinkle the surface of the pastry generously with sesame seeds before baking. The sesame toasts during baking and gives the cookie a nutty flavor.
After kneading, the dough is left to rest to relax the gluten and allow the spice flavors to meld. Subsequently, small balls are formed from it, which are flattened with the palm into the shape of a disk. The thickness varies by region and specific bakery. The version I tasted was thin and crispy.
The ideal accompaniment to the cookie is strong black tea, naturally very sweet.
I tasted qurs simsim in a small bakery in Kurdish Erbil, where bakers were pulling them out of the oven still hot early in the morning. Its taste was absolutely delicious – the combination of crunchy sesame and aromatic cardamom, anise, and fennel surprisingly reminded me, albeit only very distantly, of our Czech gingerbread. When I wanted to pay for it, I encountered, as many times before, the legendary Kurdish hospitality; the bakers refused to accept any money, saying that a guest is a gift from God to them.
Bon appétit!
