Koulouri Thessalonikis
The sesame ring that was sold in Constantinople under Thessaloniki's own name.
It costs next to nothing, it's eaten walking, and it's on every corner. The koulouri is the city's most democratic food, and it carries a history few people know.
The name that travelled the other way
Its story begins in Byzantine times. The word itself comes from the Byzantine "kollikion", and the bread appears chiefly in two cities: Constantinople and Thessaloniki.
Here is the loveliest detail: in Constantinople, the koulouri sellers advertised their wares as "koulouri Thessalonikis", Thessaloniki's koulouri. The city's name worked as a mark of quality in another great metropolis, centuries before destination marketing was invented. Craftsmen and sellers historically fixed the "koulouri Thessalonikis" as that particular shape, with abundant sesame and a crisp bite.
What it actually is
A ring of dough made from wheat flour, yeast, water, salt and sugar, dipped in sesame and baked. Nothing else. The secret isn't a hidden ingredient; it's the sesame: plenty of it, and of good quality. A proper koulouri is crisp outside, soft inside, and leaves sesame on your fingers.
You'll also hear it called simiti, a name surviving from the same Ottoman and Constantinopolitan tradition.
Its place in the city
The koulouri is Thessaloniki's morning wake-up. It's sold from carts in squares, at bus stops and outside schools, and from bakeries. It's what you eat when you're in a hurry, when you're not hungry enough for a bougatsa, or while you wait for the bus.
Variations
Beyond the classic you'll find filled versions (with cheese, chocolate spread or cold cuts) and wholemeal ones. The traditional sellers, though, insist on the plain: the koulouri needs no help.