What is the name of the Greek doughnut often drizzled with honey and cinnamon? They are called loukoumades.
Loukoumades are small pieces of leavened dough fried until golden, then covered with honey or syrup. Cinnamon is traditional, while modern servings may also include walnuts, powdered sugar, or chocolate sauce. They are commonly sold as a street food and dessert, especially in southern Greece and Cyprus.
The name belongs to a wider family of fried-dough sweets. Greek loukoumades are related linguistically and culinarily to lokma and the Arabic luqma, a word meaning “morsel” or “mouthful.” The broader dish was recorded in 13th-century Arabic cookery writing, while Greek versions have older literary parallels.
Food historians connect loukoumades with ancient Greek enkrides, fried cakes served with honey. The treat also remained popular in the Byzantine era, including during Lent, when a flour-and-yeast preparation suited Orthodox fasting. That history is why loukoumades are more than simply a Greek version of a ring doughnut.