Börek

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Burek
)
For the Dino Merlin album, see Burek (album). For other uses, see Borek (disambiguation).
Börek
Savoury pie
CourseTea pastry
Main ingredientsFlaky pastry (usually filo), various fillings
VariationsMeat, potatoes, leafy greens, cheese, eggplant, mushrooms

Börek

nigella seeds
, and it can be served hot or cold.

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 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia.

Origin and names

The English name borek[1][2] comes from Turkish börek (Turkish pronunciation: [bœˈɾec]), while burek is the form used in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Other variants include byrek in Albania; boureki in Greece; byurek (Bulgarian: Бюрек) in Bulgaria; bourek and brick Annabi in Algeria; brik in Tunisia.

According to

Proto-Indo-European root *bher- which meant "to carve, cut, split".[4] The name of another pastry, shekarbura, is also borrowed from the same Persian word.[4] Nişanyan noted the possibility of Turkic origin for the Persian word.[5]

Some types of borek could possibly have its origins in Turkish cuisine having been developed in Central Asia before some westward migration to Anatolia in the late Middle Ages,[6][7] or by nomadic Turks of central Asia some time before the seventh century.[8]

Another theory posits that the dish in general is a descendant of the pre-existing

placenta, the classical baked layered dough and cheese dish of Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman and Byzantine cuisine.[9][10][11][12]

The dish was a popular element of Ottoman cuisine, and may have been present at the Ottoman court,[13][6] though there are also indications it was made among Central Asian Turks;[7] other versions may date to the Classical era of the eastern Mediterranean.[9][10][11]

One alternative etymological origin that has been suggested is that the word comes from the Turkic root bur- 'to twist',[14][15] but the sound harmony for this proposal would dictate the suffix "-aq",[16] and Turkic languages in Arabic orthography invariably write börek with an ك not an ق, which weighs against this origin.

Regional variants

Even though borek is very popular in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire,

North Africa and throughout the Balkans,[18] it originated in Anatolia. Borek is also part of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish traditions.[19] 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".[20]

Turkish variants

A tray of su böreği from Turkish cuisine

The word "börek" in Turkish can be modified by a descriptive word referring to the shape, ingredients of the pastry, or a specific region where it is typically prepared, as in the above kol böreği, su böreği, talaş böreği or Sarıyer böreği. There are many variations of börek in Turkish cuisine:

Name English name Description Notes
Su böreği Boiled börek; lit. water börek Sheets of dough are boiled briefly in large pans, then a mixture of feta cheese and greens, or other börek filling. The whole thing is brushed with butter and baked in a masonry oven. [21]
Sigara böreği Filo rolls, lit. 'cigarette börek' Feta cheese, wiener, potato or other filling wrapped in yufka filo and deep-fried [22]
Paçanga böreği Pachanga pastry Yufka is filled with
kaşar, finely diced tomato and green peppers then rolled and fried in oil, may be eaten as a meze
.
Talaş böreği or Nemse böreği Lit. sawdust pastry Small square börek mostly filled with lamb cubes and green peas, that has starchier yufka sheets, making it puffy and crispy. [23]
Kol böreği Lit. 'arm börek' prepared in long rolls, either rounded or lined, and filled with either minced meat, feta cheese, spinach or potato and baked at a low temperature. [24]
Sarıyer böreği Sarıyer pastry A smaller and a little fattier version of the "Kol böreği", named after Sarıyer, a district of Istanbul. [25]
Gül böreği Rose börek, round börek, spiral börek rolled into small spirals
Çiğ börek
 		Chebureki Half-moon shaped börek, filled with a very thin layer of raw minced meat and onion filling and fried in oil, very popular in places with a thriving
Tatar community, such as Eskişehir, Polatlı and Konya
 [26]
Töbörek Another Tatar variety, similar to a çiğ börek, but baked instead of fried
better source needed
]
Laz böreği
 		Sweet börek filled with muhallebi (Ottoman-style milk pudding or custard) and served sprinkled with powdered sugar [28][self-published source?]
Küt Böreği Similar to Laz böreği, without the custard filling. It is also called sade (plain) börek and served with fine powdered sugar [29]

Balkans

Round burek filled with minced meat as made in former Yugoslav countries.
Byrek in Albania
Bosnian rolled burek

In the

former Yugoslavia, burek, also known as pita in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is an extremely common dish, made with yufka.[30] This kind of pastry is also popular in Croatia, where it was imported by Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albanians
. 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. Traditionally, it may be baked with no filling (prazan, meaning empty), with stewed minced meat and onions, or with cheese. Modern bakeries offer cheese and spinach, meat, apple, sour cherries, potato, mushroom, and other fillings. It is often eaten along with a plain yoghurt drink.

Zeljanica
is a spinach burek common in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Albania and Kosovo

In Albania, this dish is called byrek. In Kosovo and few other regions, byrek is also known as "pite". Byrek is traditionally made with several layers of dough that have been thinly rolled out by hand. The final form can be small, individual triangles, especially from street vendors called "byrektore" which sell byrek and other traditional pastries and drinks. It can also be made as one large byrek that is cut into smaller pieces. There are different regional variations of byrek. It can be served cold or hot.

Albanian triangle byrek

The most common fillings include: cheese (especially gjizë, salted

nettles (known as byrek me hithra), or kidney beans (byrek me fasule) which is popular in winter.[31]

There are mainly two categories of Albanian Byrek. The house byrek (byrek shtëpie) and triangle byrek (byrek trekendësh), the latter being mostly used as street food.

Lakror is an Albanian pie dish from southern Albania. The pie is sometimes called a type of byrek pastry.[32][33][34] Lakror is generally filled with a variety of greens or meats.[34] Another related dish is Fli, typical from the North of Albania and Kosovo. It is made up of layers of a flour and water batter, cream and butter. Traditionally, it is baked on embers like lakror.[31]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In 2012,

Eggs
are used as a binding agent when making sirnica and zeljanica.

Bulgaria and North Macedonia

The

Cyrillic: бюрек), is typically regarded as a variation of banitsa (баница), a similar Bulgarian dish. Bulgarian byurek is a type of banitsa with sirene cheese, the difference being that byurek also has eggs added.[36]

In Bulgarian, 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.[36]

Greece

A photo of bougatsa, a Greek variant of borek

In

piroski (πιροσκί) derives its name from borek too.[41]
It is almost identical in name and form to pirozhki (Russian: пирожки), which is of Slavic origin, and popular in Russia and further east.

Serbia

The recipe for "round" burek was developed in the Serbian town of

better source needed
]

Slovenia

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.

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.[46] The mentor of the student that had written the thesis described the topic as legitimate and burek as denoting primitive behaviour in Slovenia in spite of it being by his account "sophisticated food". He explained the controversy as a good example of the conclusions of the student.[47] 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.[48][49][50]

Other countries

Algeria

Main article:
Algerian Bourek
Algerian bourek pastry

In

bourek, a delicious roll of pastry sheet stuffed with meat, onions, and spice, is one of the main appetizers of Algerian cuisine.[51]

It is a starter served when receiving guests and especially during Ramadan evenings during the round meal of the holy month, usually accompanied by Algerian Chorba or Harira. Other forms include bourek packed with chicken and onions, shrimp and béchamel sauce, or a vegetarian alternative usually made of mashed potatoes and spinach.[52]

Another Algerian variant of Bourek is called Brik or Brika, a speciality of Algeria's east,[53][54] notably Annaba. It is a savory entree made from brik leaf, stuffed with mashed potatoes and a mixture of minced meat, onions, cheese and parsley. The whole is topped with a seasoned raw egg which cooks once the sheet of brik has been folded and soaked in boiling oil.[55]

Armenia

In Armenia, byorek (բյորեկ) or borek (բորեկ) consists of dough, or filo dough, folded into triangles and stuffed with spinach, onions and feta cheese or ground beef.[56]

Israel

Main article: Bourekas
Fresh potato burekas on sale at a stall in Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem

Burekas (

swiss chard
, and pizza flavor.

Other related pastries traditionally consumed by Sephardic Jews include bulemas and boyoz, which are also popular in the Turkish city of Izmir.[57]

Libya

It is also a popular dish in Libya, where it is known as brik.[58]

Moldova and Romania

The regional cuisine of the

Phanariotes and that 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.[61]

In Romania, the plăcintă is considered a variation of the phyllo-wrapped pie, with the dough traditionally stuffed with cheese.[62] In Dobruja, an eastern territory that used to be a Turkish province, one can find both the Turkish influence—plăcintă dobrogeană 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.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, Burēk (

Arabic: بُريك, Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [bʊˈre̞ːk]), is usually made in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, it mostly resembles the Bosnian rolled burek but can also come in other variants, and it is stuffed with minced meat or with salty cheese and dill. It is usually served during the month of Ramadan, same goes to samosas
.

Tunisia

A Tunisian brik pastry

In Tunisia, there is a variant known as the brik (

Tunisian Jewish population there. It is often filled with a raw egg and herbs or tuna, harissa, and olives, and it is sometimes served in a pita. This is also known as a boreeka.[64]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". www.oed.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  2. ^ a b "BOREK | Definition of BOREK by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of BOREK". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  3. ^ a b Nişanyan, Sevan. "börek - Nişanyan Sözlük". Nişanyan Sözlük. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hạsandūst, Muhạmmad. 2014.Hassandust, Mohammad. 2015. The etymological dictionary of Persian Archived 2022-01-28 at the Wayback Machine. 5 Vols. Tehran: Academy of Persian Language and Literature. vol. 1 p.529.(Farhang-i rīšašināḫtī-i zabān-i Fārsī Ǧild 2 Ǧild 1. s.529)
  5. ^ Nişanyan – Türkçe Etimolojik Sözlük: börek Archived 2021-04-26 at the Wayback Machine. accessed: 26 April 2021.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-7103-0334-3
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 1-86064-603-4
    .
  8. ^ Lee, Alexander (9 September 2019). "A History of Börek". History Today. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  9. ^
    ISBN 9780907325161. Archived
    from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  10. ^
    ISBN 9780226233475. Archived
    from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ a b Speros Vryonis The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor, 1971, p. 482
  12. ISBN 9781859641170
    .
  13. Oxford Companion to Food
    , s.v.
  14. ^ Tietze, Türkisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Band I, Ankara/Wien
  15. ^ Ahmet Toprak. "Articles on Turkish language". late 1980s. Archived from the original on 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  16. ^ Э.В. Севортян, Этимологический Словарь Тюркских Языков, Том Б, Москва 1978
  17. ^ "A History of Börek | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  18. ^ "Try This Traditional Savory Slavic Rolled Burek (Borek) Recipe". The Spruce Eats. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  19. ^ Haber, Joel (2020-06-04). "The Unknown Jewish History of Bourekas". The Taste of Jewish Culture. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  20. ISBN 9780470943540. Archived
    from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ "Water pastry with feta and kale (su böreği)". 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Turkish-Style Lamb Boreks Recipe". NYT Cooking. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  23. ^ "Çıtır çıtır ağızda dağılan etli talaş böreği tarifi". www.milliyet.com.tr. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13.
  24. ^ "Spinach and Feta Cheese Börek". Foolproof Living. 2013-11-26. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  25. ^ "Bir asırlık lezzet klasiği: Sarıyer böreği". GastroFests (in Turkish). 2020-06-01. Archived from the original on 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  26. ^ "title". www.eosb.org.tr. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  27. ^ "Masonry oven". www.etutor.pl. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  28. ^ "Laz Böreği (Baklavalık Yufkadan)". www.nefisyemektarifleri.com. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2015-12-16.
  29. ^ "Laz Böregi Custard Pie with Filo | When Feta Met Olive". 2013-02-16. Archived from the original on 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  30. ^
    ISBN 978-1-74220-593-9. Archived from the original
    on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  31. ^ a b "An introduction to Albanian food in 10 dishes". drivemefoody.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  32. ISBN 9789992716076. Archived
    from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  33. ^ Ahmeti, Sharon (2017). Albanian Muslims in Secular, Multicultural Australia (Ph.D.). University of Aberdeen. p. 197. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  34. ^
    ISBN 978-0787629663. Archived
    from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  35. ^ Johnson, Richard (2012-02-24). "The world's best street food". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  36. ^ a b Иванова, Ценка. "Кулинарните недоразумения на българско-сръбската езикова граница" (in Bulgarian). Liternet. Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
  37. ISBN 978-1-56426-501-2
    .
  38. ^ "Η ιστορία της μπουγάτσας". Thessalonikiartsandculture.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  39. ^ "Largest Bougatsa". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2016-09-19. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  40. ^ "Oriente moderno". Istituto per l'oriente. 30 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via Google Books.
  41. ^ Ivy (June 21, 2008). "Πιροσκί". Κοπιάστε .. στην Κουζίνα μου. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012.
  42. Glas Javnosti (in Serbian). Glas Javnosti. Archived
    from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2006-09-06.
  43. Glas Javnosti (in Serbian). Glas Javnosti. Archived
    from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2006-09-06.
  44. ^ "U Nišu okupljeni ljubitelji bureka..." Revija UNO 129 (in Serbian). NIP "Druga kuća". Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2006-09-06.
  45. ^ Rudovič Žvanut, Bojana (2010). Pomeni bureka v Sloveniji: diplomska naloga [The Meanings of Burek in Slovenia: Diploma Thesis] (PDF) (in Slovenian and English). Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  46. ^ Černic, Andrej (22 January 2011). "Neverjetno – na FDV je mogoče diplomirati iz bureka!?" [Incredible – It is Possible to Graduate on the Faculty of Social Sciences with Burek!?]. Reporter (in Slovenian). Prava smer, d. o. o. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  47. ^ "Peter Stankovič: Burek je sofisticirana hrana" [Peter Stankovič: Burek is Sophisticated Food] (in Slovenian). Siol.net. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-02-02.
  48. ^ Mlekuž, Jernej (2008). Predmet kot akter? Primer bureka v Sloveniji [Artefact as Actor? The Case of the Burek in Slovenia] (PDF) (in Slovenian and English). Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Nova Gorica. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  49. ISBN 9789633860892. Archived
    from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  50. ^ "Študentka FDV diplomirala na temo Pomeni bureka v Sloveniji" [A Student at the Faculty of Social Sciences Graduates with the Topic Meanings of Burek in Slovenia]. Pomurec.com (in Slovenian). 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 24 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  51. ^ "Algeria: Increase availability of vaccinations for livestock" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-28.
  52. PMID 32824528
    .
  53. ^ Marin Wagda (2003). "Bricks, boureks et briouates" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
  54. JSTOR 41285309. Archived
    from the original on 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  55. OCLC 907951240.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  56. ISBN 9780910297042
    .
  57. ^ İpkoparan, B., & Özkanli, O. (2020). İzmir Sefarad Mutfağının Günümüzdeki Yeri (The Current Situation of Izmir Sephardic). Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 8(2), 1527-1541.
  58. ISBN 978-1-59077-191-4. Archived
    from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  59. ^ "Credinte si traditii de Ajun si Craciun". Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  60. ^ "Photo of a plate with "ciorba de burchite"". Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  61. ^ "Etimologia : boleto;". etimo.it. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  62. ISBN 9781903018996. Archived
    from the original on 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  63. ISBN 0-8094-0075-8
  64. ^ Ottolenghi, Yotam. Jerusalem. Ten Speed Press.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Börek&oldid=1217889281"
This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: Burek. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy