Spicy Cookies from Hatay (Hatay Kömbesi)
These delicious, spicy cookies are traditionally made in the Hatay province right after Ramadan, during Şeker Bayramı which translates to “Sugar Feast”. Almost every household in Hatay region makes these cookies in very large amounts which usually involves friends, relatives and neighbors getting together to make them. They are either baked at home or at the local bakery. Trays and trays of kömbe are sent to local, wood-fired bakeries during this season and the delicious smell just swifts through the air in the neighborhoods. Some bakeries stay open all night to keep up with baking these cookies. During the “Sugar Feast”, people visit each other and these cookies are served for the guests. In other regions of Turkey , “kömbe” is the name for a pie/börek, so it can get confusing for people who are not from the Hatay region. When I was growing up and eating these cookies during the holidays, I didn’t care much for them as they were abundant during...