Kleicha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kleicha (ܟܠܝܟ̰ܐ,كليچة)

Type	Cookie
Place of origin	Sumer-Babylonia, Mesopotamia
Region or state	Iraq, Saudi Arabia
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	Dough, nuts, dates, and sesame seeds

Kleicha (Syriac: ܟܠܝܟ̰ܐ; Arabic: كليچة; Turkish: kiliçe) is a type of Middle Eastern cookie. It is sometimes considered to be the national cookie of Iraq, due to Assyrian influence of the country.

Kleicha comes in several traditional shapes and fillings. The most popular are the ones filled with dates (kleichat tamur). There are also sweet discs (khfefiyyat), as well as half moons filled with nuts, sugar and/or desiccated coconut (kleichat joz). They are usually flavoured with cardamom and sometimes rose water, and glazed with egg wash, which may sometimes be scented and coloured with saffron.

Iraqi kleicha

Saudi Arabia and Iraq people make kleicha for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and also for their celebrations, weddings or special ceremonies and they are stuffed with many different fillings like dates, pistachios, walnuts, coconuts, dried figs, sesame seeds or Turkish delight.

Saudi klega from Qassim; although the name is somewhat similar, this kind differs in taste, shape and ingredients

Assyrians bake kilecheh on Eeda Gura, Easter, and Eeda Sura, Christmas, on which they are usually stuffed with dates and served with tea.

See also

In Spanish: Kleicha para niños