Around the World in 5 Cookies

Alfajores are beloved sandwich cookies with a long history. They originated in the Middle East, became popular in Spain, and now are the national sweet of Argentina! Today almost every region in Argentina has its own version. Some are filled with creamy caramel, the cookie’s original filling. Others have locally grown nuts and fruits.

Meet the pizzelle, one of the world’s oldest cookies! Ancient Romans developed the 1,300-year-old recipe. Bakers press the sweet dough, flavored with a spice called anise, into thin waffle-like cookies.

Ancient people snacked on qurabiya throughout what is now Greece, Türkiye, and much of the Middle East. Moonshaped and covered with powdered sugar, their popularity soared after sugarcane became a widespread crop in the region. Today qurabiya is usually made with almond flour and sheep’s butter. This makes a sweet, richly flavored dough.

An Iranian baker living in India invented the nankhatai in the 1500s. This eggless shortbread cookie uses ghee, a type of butter used in Indian cooking. The cookie is made with chickpea flour and a spice called cardamom.

In the 1500s, Portuguese traders brought fruit tarts and pineapples, a fruit from South America, to Indonesia. Dutch bakers in Southeast Asia combined the two, creating this little pineapple jam cookie. Today the tart-like treat is popular throughout the region, especially around Lunar New Year.