Qozla bread, the Eastern New Year loaf of the Syrian coast

Qozla bread is a tannour loaf baked once a year in the countryside of Latakia and Tartus, on Qozla, the Eastern New Year of 13-14 January. Spices and ground red pepper go into the dough, which is kneaded with olive oil before it goes into the oven and takes sesame and nigella seed. It is also called khubz al-miladi, mshawwash or fatir.

What Qozla is

The start of the new year by the old calendar in the coastal villages. Linguistic studies cited by SANA derive the name from the Assyrian word qozel, the glow of a fire. The day is marked by lighting a small fire, singing folk songs and jumping over the flames. Siham Manna, from the village of Sidra in the Latakia countryside, described the table to SANA: animals slaughtered for the feast, kbeibat, zlebiyeh, fatayer, and Qozla bread brushed with olive oil.

How it is made

That morning the women knead wholewheat flour and leave it to rise, working in spices and ground red pepper. Once the tannour is hot, the dough is kneaded again with olive oil, sesame and nigella seed are added, and it is pressed onto the inner wall of the oven. In one version described from the Tartus countryside, the rolled-out dough is brushed with oil before it goes in.

How it differs from everyday tannour bread

Same oven, same wholewheat flour. The difference is in the dough and in the calendar: pepper, sesame, nigella seed and olive oil do not go into the plain daily loaf, and this bread is not baked on any other day. Villagers in the Tartus countryside told Snack Syrian that white flour from the shop does not work for it.

What it is eaten with

With red meat grilled on the Qozla fire, while still hot. Kbeibat, fatayer and kibbeh join it. Snack Syrian reported from the villages that high prices and transport troubles have meant less bread and less meat on the day in recent years.

Where a traveller sees it

Qozla is kept at home, and the bread is baked that morning in the family’s own tannour. Seeing it means being a guest in a village house in the Latakia or Tartus countryside on 13-14 January.