Street Cart · Sesame Bread Ring

Koulouri (Κουλούρι)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

A near-identical sesame bread ring was already being sold on the streets of Constantinople over a thousand years ago.

Koulouri is a ring of bread coated in sesame seeds, sold from street carts and bakery windows from early morning — a grab-and-go breakfast eaten plain on the walk to work or school.

Why it's made this way: The ring-shaped, sesame-crusted bread has roots in the Byzantine Empire — a similar loaf sold in Constantinople was described in writing as far back as the 9th century — making koulouri one of the longest continuously sold street snacks in the region.