Börek
Börek or burek is a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. Boreks are mainly associated with the Middle East, Caucasus, and also with the former Ottoman Empire, including the Balkans and the South Caucasus, Eastern European and Central European countries, Northern Africa and Central Asia. A borek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. They are usually baked but some varieties can be fried. Borek is sometimes sprinkled with sesame or nigella seeds, and it can be served hot or cold.
A traditional cheese borek from Belgrade, Serbia | |
| Alternative names | Burek, börek, bourekas, boreg, byrek |
|---|---|
| Type | Savoury pie |
| Course | Tea pastry |
| Main ingredients | Flaky pastry (usually filo), various fillings |
| Variations | Meat, potatoes, leafy greens, cheese, eggplant, mushrooms |
It is a custom of Sephardic Jews to have bourekas for their Shabbat breakfast meal on Saturday mornings.
It is commonly served with ayran in Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia.