| Name Lang: | ar |
| Barazeq | |
| Type: | cookie |
| Country: | Levant |
| Region: | Al-Midan, Damascus, Syria[1] |
| Main Ingredient: | flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, sesame |
Barazek or barazeq (in Arabic برازق barāzeq) is a Syrian cookie whose main ingredient is sesame (سمسم 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]
It 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.