Pastries in the börek family are also called pita (pie): tiropita, spanakopita and so on. Let it run into the cracks and crevices and around the edges. It is perfect for who wants to cook in less amount in a short time. Small coffee-shop type establishments as well as lottery and sports betting parlors serving bourekas and coffee can also be found. Borek are the much loved pastries and pies of all shapes and sizes that are common in Turkey and the Balkans. Bourekas have given their name to Bourekas films, a peculiarly Israeli genre of comic melodramas or tearjerkers based on ethnic stereotypes. In 1498, it was introduced by a famous Turkish baker, Mehmed Oğlu from Istanbul. Another variation filled with meat (beef, chicken or lamb), pine nuts, parsley and spices are eaten mainly as a main dish but sometimes as meze. Borek could also be prepared in different shapes - layered pie, individual squares, "cigars", or triangles. Bake it in a 185 F/365 C oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the center is firm. It can be served cold or hot. So it might be good chance to surprise them and help them get … Next, stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. In Armenia, byorek (բյորեկ) or borek (բորեկ), consists of dough, or phyllo dough, folded into triangles and stuffed with cheese, spinach or ground beef, and the filling is … Wait for 5 minutes and add corn flour, 3 cups more flour and salt. A special type of boureki is found in the local cuisine of Crete and especially in the area of Chania. Jun 24, 2017 - A classic vegetarian Turkish/Middle Eastern dish: Spinach and Feta Cheese Börek made layering phyllo sheets with spinach and feta cheese. In Turkish, ‘sigara’ actually means ‘cigarette.’ These pastries got their name due to their long, thin, rolled shape. For example, Salty cheese (Bulgarian cheese)-filled as well as Tzfat cheese (from the city of Safed) with Za'atar-filled bourekas are usually somewhat flat triangles with white sesame seeds on top. Bean sprout-filled are cylindrical without seeds. A börek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. [28] A publication of a diploma thesis on this at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana in 2010 stirred controversy regarding the appropriateness of the topic. Print Recipe. It comes in wheels covered by a light brown, textured hull. Meat bourekas are less common at bakeries and are considered something which is to be made at home. In Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia, burek is made from layers of dough, alternating with layers of other fillings in a circular baking pan and then topped with a last layer of dough. Great for a take along lunch or vegetarian dinner, it needs only 20 minutes of hands on time and 7 … It's filled with Turkish white cheese, similar to Feta, and uses ready yufka sheets. ", "Peter Stankovič: Burek je sofisticirana hrana", "Študentka FDV diplomirala na temo Pomeni bureka v Sloveniji", Alexander REINHARDT, Gazeta de agricultura - Credinte si traditii de Ajun si Craciun, "Photo of a plate with "ciorba de burchite, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Börek&oldid=999053457, Articles needing additional references from June 2020, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles needing additional references from November 2020, Articles lacking reliable references from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 07:34. Israeli bourekas come in several shapes and are often sprinkled with seeds. I have given three different fillings: cheese, spinach and minced meat. Bakeries and street vendors dealing exclusively in bourekas can be found in most Israeli cities. It is a pie filled with sliced zucchini, sliced potatoes, mizithra or feta cheese and spearmint, and may be baked with or without a thick top crust of phyllo. Add the garlic and spinach and sauté 1-2 … Smoked cheese is produced in the areas surrounding Duzce and Hendek in the Marmara region of Turkey. The filling is often white sheep’s milk cheese and a chopped vegetable such as parsley or spinach. If you're not in Turkey, you can find packaged yufka in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean grocers. No one will know there is leek in it, unless you tell them. Let the pastry rest for about 20 minutes before cutting it into squares. Potato-filled are sesame topped, flat squares or rectangles made with phyllo and tend to be less oily than most other versions. The word börek comes from Turkish and refers to any dish made with yufka. Less salty cheese-filled are semi-circular and usually made with puff pastry. These are usually homemade and not traditionally offered in bakeries. Flaky, tender and filling, these make perfect Ramadan iftar, brunch or dinner side. Make spinach filling. Turkey enjoys a wide variety of regional variations of börek among the different cultures and ethnicities composing it, including: Most of the time, the word "börek" is accompanied in Turkish by a descriptive word referring to the shape, ingredients of the pastry, for the cooking methods or for or a specific region where it is typically prepared, as in the above kol böreği, su böreği, talaş böreği or Sarıyer böreği. "The Taste for Layered Bread among the Nomadic Turks and the Central Asian Origins of Baklava", in, Tietze, Türkisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Band I, Ankara/Wien, Э.В. It weighed 182.2kg, was 20 metres long, and was made by more than 40 bakers.[19]. [4][5][6], Recent ethnographic research indicates that börek was probably invented separately by the nomadic Turks of central Asia some time before the seventh century. Lakror is a specific kind of byrek from the region of Korça. The Bulgarian version of the pastry, locally called byurek (Cyrillic: бюрек), is typically regarded as a variation of banitsa (баница), a similar Bulgarian dish. The final form can be small, individual triangles, especially from street vendors called 'Byrektore' which sell byrek and other traditional pastries and drinks. In Serbian towns, Bosnian pastry dishes were imported by war refugees in the 1990s, and are usually called sarajevske pite or bosanske pite (Sarajevo pies or Bosnian pies). I love these tasty little cheese-filled sigara börek (shaped like cigarettes) because they’re … It comes in many shapes and sizes and is filled with everything from meat, cheese, spinach, and even spiced-up mashed potato. Today, we are going for basics. Tuna-filled are bulging triangles with nigella seeds. It is perfect for who wants to cook in less amount in a short time. Next, take the first sheet of yufka and place it in an uneven, wrinkly fashion to cover the bottom of the tray. It is found in the cuisines of Western Asia, the Balkans, the South Caucasus, the Levant, Central Asia, and other parts of Eastern Europe. Eggplant-filled are cylindrical with nigella seeds. I am going to make the borek simply in a pan using fewer ingredients. In Turkey, many cooks still choose to make their own yufka sheets, especially those who live in rural areas. [21] It's almost identical in name and form to pirozhki (Russian: пирожки), which is of Slavic origin, and popular in Russia and further east. I have used filo pastry which is similar to Turkish yufka pastry. Sigara böreği 'cigarette börek' is a smaller, cylindrical variety is most often filled with white cheese (some call it feta but in Turkey, this name is not used) and parsley or sometimes minced meat and onion and parsley. That's why you'll find 'börek' in every home, pastry shop and bakery. However, busy city cooks often choose to buy fresh yufka sheets from their local bakery or neighborhood yufka shop, where the 'yufkacı' (yoof-KAH'-juh) rolls out perfect, thin yufka sheets for a living. It has leeks as the main ingredient. Cover the top of your pastry completely with the last piece of yufka. Turn the dough into a ball and transfer back to its bowl. Families often pass recipes and 'börek'-making skills down through generations, and everyone adds their own touch. Turkish Borek with Cheese and Herbs is the best savory pie you can ever have. The most common fillings include: cheese (especially gjizë, salted curd cheese), ground meat and onions (ragù style filling), spinach and eggs, milk and eggs with pre-baked dough layers, but it can also be made with tomato and onions, peppers and beans, potato or a sweet filling of pumpkin, nettles (known as byrek me hithra),[14] kidney beans (popular in winter),[15] etc. The Pontian Greek piroski (πιροσκί) derives its name from börek too. Modern bakeries offer cheese and spinach, apple, sour cherries, potato, mushroom, and other fillings. Bulgarian byurek is a type of banitsa with sirene cheese, the difference being that byurek also has eggs added. Paçanga böreği, is a speciality of the Istanbul region but equally popular elsewhere. Drizzle the last portion of the milk mixture over the top, wetting all of it. Flaky thin, it comes in its own tray so you can conveniently cook it in the oven in 30-40 minutes. In a separate bowl, toss together the crumbled white cheese and chopped parsley. In Armenia, byorek (բյորեկ) or borek (բորեկ), consists of dough, or phyllo dough, folded into triangles and stuffed with cheese, spinach or ground beef, and the filling is typically spiced. Spinach and Feta Cheese Borek (or boerek) is a Middle Eastern dish of Turkish origin. [35] They are traditionally eaten in the last day of fasting at the time of the Christmas Eve. Melt the butter and olive oil and pour over the borek. Turkish borek with cheese is very traditional, one of the savory tea time treats in Turkey. [16], In Greece, boureki (μπουρέκι [buˈreki]) or bourekaki (μπουρεκάκι [bureˈkaki], the diminutive form of the word), and Cyprus poureki (πουρέκι, in the Greek dialects of the island) are small pastries made with phyllo dough or with pastry crust. The larger ones can serve as a snack or a meal, and can be sliced open, and stuffed with hard-boiled egg, pickles, tomatoes and Sahawiq, a spicy Yemenite paste. Börek is a Turkish pastry with savory filling. It can also be made as one large byrek that is cut into smaller pieces. This helps to soften the top layer. Υγιεινές – αυθεντικές Ελληνικές και Κυπριακές συνταγές, ive.org/web/20120229012148/http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/world/worlds-best-street-food, "Neverjetno - na FDV je mogoče diplomirati iz bureka!? [29] The mentor of the student that had written the thesis described the topic as legitimate and burek as denoting primitive behavior in Slovenia in spite of it being a sophisticated food. In Venetian Corfu, boureki was also called burriche,[20] and filled with meat and leafy greens. Try this delicious traditional turkish food recipe Borek With Cheese In a Pan. A popular combination is spinach, feta, cottage cheese (or pot cheese) and a splash of anise-flavoured liquor (such as raki). Börek is also part of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish traditions. [23] This kind of pastry is also popular in Croatia, where it was imported by Bosnian Croats, and is usually called rolani burek (rolled burek). Another related dish is Fli, typical from the North of Albania and Kosovo. Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. It is made up of layers of a flour and water batter, cream and butter. Other fillings are also possible, and tomato and onion is also common. This saves some time. Similar dishes, although somewhat wider and with thinner dough layers, are called savijača or just "pita" in Serbia. Севортян, Этимологический Словарь Тюркских Языков, Том Б, Москва 1978, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "An introduction to Albanian food in 10 dishes", "Кулинарните недоразумения на българско-сръбската езикова граница", http://www.thessalonikiartsandculture.gr/blog/texnopersona/i-istoria-tis-bougatsas#.Vwkdo5yLT4Y, http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-bougatsa, Κοπιάστε στην Κουζίνα μου. Ready in an hour and a perfect recipe for entertaining. Most bourekas in Israel are made with margarine-based doughs rather than butter-based doughs so that (at least the non-cheese filled varieties) can be eaten along with either milk meals or meat meals in accordance with the kosher prohibition against mixing milk and meat at the same meal. Combine the spinach, onion, spices, and herbs in sauce pan and cook for 5 … Börek (Turkish pronunciation: [bœˈɾec]; also burek and other variants) is a family of baked filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough such as phyllo or yufka, typically filled with meat. Most Turkish folks eat 'börek' several times a week. The recipe for "round" burek was developed in the Serbian town of Niš. You can make it easily with yufka or phyllo sheets. The regional cuisine of the Moldavian West bank of the Pruth still yields a type of dumpling-like food called burechiuşe (sometimes called burechiţe) which is described as dough in the shape of a ravioli-like square which is filled with mushrooms such as Boletus edulis, and sealed around its edges and then tossed and subsequently boiled in borscht like soups[34] or chorbas. In Albania, this dish is called byrek. When your pastry is cooked, remove the pan from oven and sprinkle one or two tablespoons of cold water over the top, then wrap the whole thing in clean butcher's paper or a clean towel. Bourekas can be made from either phyllo dough or puff pastry filled with various fillings. In Kosovo and few other regions byrek is also known as "pite". Cheese is wrapped in the pastry into a cigarette shape and deep fried for a delicious appetizer. The top of the börek is occasionally sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds. Mushroom-filled are bulging triangles with poppy seeds. He explained the controversy as a good example of the conclusions of the student. [7][8] Sevortyan offers various alternative etymologies, all of them based on a fronted vowel /ö/ or /ü/. Tietze's proposed source "bur-" (with a backed vowel /u/) for büräk/börek (with fronted vowels) is not included, because sound harmony would dictate a suffix "-aq" with a harmonised, backed /q/. 'Börek' is made with layers of yufka or phyllo. Repeat until you have five layers finished. sorrel, dandelion, scarole, catsear, etc. [clarification needed] Meat bourekas are made from lamb, beef or chicken mixed with onion, parsley, coriander, or mint, pine nuts and spices, They are served as hot meze. Bourekas come in small, "snack" size, often available in self-service bakeries, and sizes as large as four or five inches. Prep Time 15 mins. It is not clear if the burechiuşe derive their name from the Turco-Greek börek (which is a distinct possibility given the fact that Ottoman Moldavia was ruled for many decades by dynasties of Greek Phanariotes who encouraged Greek colonists to settle in the area), so at the receiving end of cultural and culinary influences coming from them, or it takes its name from that of the mushroom Boletus (burete in its Romanian language rhotacised version, and it meant "mushroom" as well as "sponge") by the pattern of the ravioli, which were named after the Italian name of the turnip with which they were once filled. Traditionally, it is baked on embers like lakror.[15]. The North African version, Brik can also be found in Israel. Traditionally it may be baked with no filling (prazan, meaning empty), with stewed minced meat and onions, or with cheese. This is a Turkish pastry – borek we call it. By Aysegul Sanford A classic vegetarian Turkish/Middle Eastern dish: Spinach and Feta Cheese Börek made by layering phyllo sheets with spinach and feta cheese. FROZEN PASTRY TURKISH SU BOREK WITH CHEESE. Mix until it becomes a smooth unstick soft dough adding more flour if needed. Turkish borek with cheese is very traditional, one of the savory tea time treats in Turkey. Eggs are used as a binding agent when making sirnica and zeljanica. Ready in less than an hour and perfect recipe for entertaining. In a big mixing bowl add water, milk, sugar, yeast and a cup of flour. (Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. It comes in many shapes and sizes and is filled with everything from meat, cheese, spinach, and even spiced-up mashed potato. This recipe is a shortcut to making classic casserole-style 'börek.' In Israel, bourekas (Hebrew: בורקס) became popular as Sephardic Jewish immigrants who settled there cooked the cuisine of their native countries. Each cook has their own method, however. Sigara Boregi is just one of the many types of borek found in Turkey. Most Turkish folks eat 'börek' several times a week. Bake the borek in a preheated 180C degree oven for about 40 minutes until golden color on top and bottom. These delicious rolls of fresh ‘yufka’ dough filled with Turkish white cheese, similar to Feta, are good for you and your taste buds. Rose borek is a flaky pastry filled with sugary rose petal paste and unsalted cheese. We chose to blend all the liquid ingredients and drizzle them over the layers of yufka. ), The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Borek is a traditional Turkish pastry made with phyllo dough and usually stuffed with cheese, although there are many other filling variations such as spinach, ground meat, veggies and herbs. Supermarkets stock a wide selection of frozen raw-dough bourekas ready for home baking. [10], Börek is very popular in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, especially in North Africa and throughout the Balkans. [18] The Greek city of Serres achieved the record for the largest puff pastry on 1 June 2008. 'Börek' is made with layers of yufka or phyllo. Spinach-filled are either cylindrical with sesame seeds or made with a very delicate, oily phyllo dough shaped into round spirals. leek and gjizë (a kind of cottage cheese, thicker than ricotta), lakër being an Albanian word for cabbage but in this context an abbreviation of "lakër e egër", a term which describes a family of green leaf vegetables i.e. Sprinkle 1/5 of the cheese mixture over the yufka. The ever-popular Su Böreği or ‘water börek’ is phyllo dough, filled with white cheese. … Continue reading "Turkish Borek With White Cheese" [30] Actually, already in 2008, an employee of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SRC SASA) had attained his PhD degree with a thesis on meta-burek at the University of Nova Gorica.[31][32][33]. In the former Yugoslavia, burek, also known as pita in Bosnia and Herzegovina exclusively, is an extremely common dish, made with yufka and the Bosnian variant is arguably the most regionally prominent. Cut the borek in squares. Some cooks prefer to brush the melted butter and the milk mixture separately on each layer. There are different regional variations of byrek. Niš hosts an annual burek competition and festival called Buregdžijada. But the resemblance stops there. [23][24] Eaten for any meal of the day, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the burek is a meat-filled pastry, traditionally rolled in a spiral and cut into sections for serving. In 2012, Lonely Planet included the Bosnian burek in their "The World's Best Street Food" book. Savoury borek can be filled with vegetables, cheese or meat and sweet ones with fruit and nuts. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, The 10 Most Popular Spices in Turkish Cuisine, Oven-Baked Naan (Leavened Indian Flatbread), Turkish Fried Feta Rolls, or 'Cigarette' Pastries, 6 Moroccan Super Spices That Boost Your Health, Turkish Oven-Baked Pasta Recipe Is Like 'Mac And Cheese', Fırın Sütlaç (Turkish Baked Rice Pudding), Turkish Melted Cheese and Cornmeal (Mıhlama), Melitzanes Me Feta: Baked Eggplant With Feta Cheese, Turkish Shepherd's Salad (Çoban Salatası). Often the dough is paper-thin yufka (phyllo) layered, rolled or folded around the ingredients, then baked, steamed or fried. Turkish cuisine is famous for its endless varieties of delicious layered pies and pastries, called 'börek' (buhr-ECK'). They have been enthusiastically adopted by the Ottoman Jewish communities, and have been described, along with boyos de pan and bulemas, as forming "the trio of preeminent Ottoman Jewish pastries".[11]. This cheese has a wonderful aroma and rich, smoky flavor. [9] Turkic languages in Arabic orthography, however, invariably write ك and not ق which rules out "bur-" which has a backed vowel /u/ at its core. Drizzle a spoonful or two of the milk mixture over the bottom. Microwave again on high until the milk is warm but not scalding. In large cities, you can also buy vacuum-packed, fresh yufka in most supermarkets. In Dobrogea, an eastern territory that used to be a Turkish province, one can find both the Turkish influence - plăcintă dobrogeana either filled with cheese or with minced meat and served with sheep yoghurt or the Tatar street food Suberek - a deep fried half Moon cheese filled dough. Byrek is traditionally made with several layers of dough that have been thinly rolled out by hand. The traditional filling for spanakopita comprises chopped spinach, feta cheese, onions or spring onions, egg, and seasoning.[17]. In the Epirus, σκερ-μπουρέκ (derives from the Turkish şeker-börek, "sugar-börek") is a small rosewater-flavoured marzipan sweet. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion 1-2 minutes. Tatar böreği (Tatar börek) is an alternative name for the cheese and mint filled dumpling dish known as mantı.[13]. Divide the cheese mixture roughly into five parts. [36], Related cuisines: European • Balkan • Greek • Italian • Levantine • Mediterranean • Ottoman, For the 2004 album and song by Bosnian singer Dino Merlin, see, Perry, Charles. Serve warm after 101-5 minutes out from the oven. Turkish cuisine is famous for its endless varieties of delicious layered pies and pastries, called 'börek' (buhr-ECK'). Spoon about 1/6 of the milk mixture all over the yufka. Bougatsa (Greek μπουγάτσα [buˈɣatsa]) is a Greek variation of a börek which consists of either semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo, and is said to originate in the city of Serres, an art of pastry brought with the immigrants from Constantinople and is most popular in Thessaloniki, in the Central Macedonia region of Northern Greece. Börek was a popular element of Ottoman cuisine, and may have been invented at the Ottoman court,[1][2] though there are also indications it was made among Central Asian Turks;[3] other versions may date to the Classical era of the eastern Mediterranean.[4][5][6]. I am going to make the borek simply in a pan using fewer ingredients. [16], In Bulgarian, the word byurek has also come to be applied to other dishes similarly prepared with cheese and eggs, such as chushka byurek (чушка бюрек), a peeled and roasted pepper filled with cheese, and tikvichka byurek (тиквичка бюрек), blanched or uncooked bits of squash with eggs filling. Bourekas can also be found with mashed chickpeas, tuna and chickpea mix, pumpkin and even small cocktail frankfurters. In 2005, a 100 kg (220 lbs) burek was made, with a diameter of 2 metres (≈6 ft)[26] and it is considered to have been the world biggest burek ever made. This dish can be made ahead and it freezes beautifully. In Romania, the food falls under the name "plăcintă" and is most often made with cheese or cheese and spinach. The most common fillings are cheese, meat and spinach. The most popular fillings are salty cheese and mashed potato, with other fillings including mushrooms, ground meat, sweet potato, chickpeas, olives, spinach, mallows, swiss chard, eggplant and pizza-flavour. This cheese gets its robust flavor in special smokehouses that burn pine wood. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Bourekas with a pizza sauce are often round spirals rising toward the middle or sometimes cylindrical without seeds, differentiated from the bean sprout-filled cylinders without seeds by the red sauce oozing out the ends. Tietze proposes that the word comes from the Turkic root bur- 'to twist',. 1 stick of butter or margarine (125 grams), 18 ounces crumbled Turkish white cheese, reduced salt Feta, or crumbly goat cheese, Sesame seeds or nigella seeds for garnish. Borek is one of the most popular dishes in Turkish cuisine and it was a staple in Ottoman cuisine as well. This dish can be made ahead and it freezes beautifully. [25][better source needed] Eventually burek spread from the southeast (southern Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia) to the rest of Yugoslavia. [27][better source needed], In Slovenia, burek is one of the most popular fast-food dishes, but at least one researcher found that it is viewed negatively by Slovenes due to their prejudices towards immigrants, especially those from other countries of Former Yugoslavia. The use of margarine in bourekas has caused some controversy in Israel due to a general trend of moving away from trans fats, which are found in many margarines.[22]. The shapes and choice of seeds are usually indicative of their fillings and have become fairly standard among small bakeries and large factories alike. The South Slavic cuisines also feature derivatives of the börek. Börek is a general Turkish term for filled pastries, related to other Mediterranean words for this delicacy: boureki (Greece), pierogi (Italy), pirochki (Russia).. [15] Lakror is generally filled with greens, e.g.