Frequently asked questions

Exactly what it says. Sweet Samsa is a California Cottage Food Operation, a licensed home kitchen in Long Beach, inspected and permitted under state law, where the founder and his wife fold, bake, and finish every box themselves. The label is a legal requirement, and we're glad to carry it: it means every Samsa is genuinely made by hand, by us.

A Samsa is a Tunisian pastry: crisp golden phyllo hand-folded into a triangle around a rich, finely ground nut filling. Ours are made with almond, pistachio, hazelnut, or pecan, ground with almond and bound with browned-butter ghee, then finished in syrup with powdered nuts or toasted sesame, or dipped in chocolate. Every one is folded by hand and baked, never fried.

Vegetarian, always. Not vegan: the flavor backbone is browned-butter ghee, and several finishes are made with real chocolate that contains dairy.

Every Samsa contains tree nuts (almond, plus pistachio, hazelnut, or pecan), dairy (ghee, and milk in some chocolate finishes), and gluten (phyllo). The two sesame-rolled pieces in The Introduction contain sesame. Everything is made in one kitchen that works with all of these, so no box is free of cross-contact. If you have a serious allergy to any of them, this unfortunately isn't the pastry for you.

Small enough to eat in two, rich enough that you won't want to. A proper dessert, not a bite.

Not yet. Production is just the two of us, the founder and his wife, so custom combinations aren't something we can take on today. Build-your-own boxes will come as we scale production. For now, each of the four boxes is composed the way we like to serve them: one of each, two of each, or four of each.

Yes, up to six months ahead, for weddings, holidays, and corporate gifting. Write to info@sweetsamsa.com and we'll plan it together.

Everything is baked in small batches, so boxes occasionally sell through. When that happens we're usually restocked within three days. Check back, or email us and we'll let you know the moment it returns.

Not at the moment. Every order ships.

We do. Write to info@sweetsamsa.com and tell us about your shop or event.

Anywhere in California. We're a licensed California cottage food kitchen, which means we can only sell within the state for now. The full details live on our Shipping & Returns page.

Any box with chocolate travels cold, with frozen gel packs, and we only ship Monday through Wednesday so your order never sits in a warm depot over a weekend. Our syrup-glazed classics are sturdy travelers and ship without ice. Transit within California is one to two business days.

It's included. Every box price covers shipping anywhere in California, so the price you see is the price you pay.

They're at their best within three weeks of the day we fold them. That's the date on your box. Keep them cool and dry, since chocolate softens in the heat. Refrigerated, they keep beautifully for a month or more, and they freeze very well.