What Is Turkish Börek?

Börek is a traditional food that probably originated in East Europe and came to Turkey with the Ottomans. It is made by rolling out very thin pastry dough called yufka. This filo-like dough is layered in a large flat pan with fillings like meat, cheese, spinach, or potato. It is topped with a mixture of yogurt and egg which lets the crust become crispy in the baking process. Börek in Turkish cuisine can be considered as a savory pie, but thanks to phyllo sheets, much lighter than that.

It is really common in Turkey to have breakfast at a Börek bakery shop with a glass of Turkish Tea on the way to work. Also, it is almost a staple at afternoon tea parties or makes a great lunch when accompanied by ayran. Ayran is a super refreshing drink made from yogurt.

It has several types and shapes of Börek, but the method is basically the same: Phyllo sheets are filled with a filling you like and either fried as in Turkish Sigara Börek or baked. You can get creative about the filling. Some examples are spinach, cheese, lentils, mashed potatoes with herbs and spices, shredded chicken, ground beef, or even sautéd leek. Among all these, the Turkish spinach and cheese Börek recipe has a special place for everyone because it is the snack of their childhood.

One example is Sigara Böreği, a small deep-fried roll with cheese inside (imagine a cheese egg roll). There is also so böreğı which prepared with plain yufka baked with extra yogurt to make it soft and moist.

In all different shapes and sizes, this versatile food is widely available in Turkey, and throughout Eastern Europe and can serve as a cheap and satisfying breakfast or snack. You can find Börek in every pastry shop.