Bourekas facts for kids
Typical Israeli bourekas, traditionally topped with sesame, poppy or nigella seeds.
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| Alternative names | Burekas, Bureka, Boureka, Borekas, Burekasim |
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| Type | Tea pastry |
| Course | Fast food, Shabbat breakfast |
| Region or state | Ottoman Empire |
| Associated national cuisine | Israel |
| Main ingredients | Puff pastry or phyllo; filling |
| Variations | feta cheese, tzfat cheese, kashkaval cheese, mashed potato, spinach, mallow mushrooms, pizza, less commonly ground beef, lamb, chicken with pine nuts and almonds, or vegetables, or a sweet filling such as muhallebi |
Bourekas are a super popular baked pastry in Israel and among Sephardic Jews. They are a type of burek, a pastry enjoyed across southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Israeli bourekas come in many shapes and have lots of different fillings. They are usually made with puff pastry, filo dough, or brik pastry. The type of dough often depends on where the baker's family came from.
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What Does "Bourekas" Mean?
The word boureka comes from the Turkish word börek. It was brought into the Judeo-Spanish language by Sephardic Jews. Ladino is a language spoken by Sephardic Jews, and many food names are some of the last words remaining from this language.
In the past, in Judeo-Spanish, boreka meant pastries like empanadas. The traditional Ottoman börek was called bulema.
Why Are Bourekas So Popular?
Bourekas are a favorite snack in Israel, much like bagels are in America. You can find them almost everywhere and for any event. They are a popular street food, sold in outdoor markets called shuks. Famous markets like Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem and Carmel market in Tel Aviv sell them.
You can also find special boureka bakeries that focus only on baking these delicious pastries.
What Are Bourekas Filled With?
Bourekas are often made with puff pastry and filled with many tasty things. Some popular fillings include feta cheese, kashkaval cheese, or mashed potato. Other common fillings are spinach and cheese, eggplant, or mushrooms.
The History of Bourekas
How Bourekas Began
Before they were expelled from Spain, Sephardic Jews already made pastries similar to empanadas. When these Jews were forced to leave Spain, many found safety in the Ottoman Empire.
In the Ottoman Empire, they learned about börek. They then changed the börek to fit their kosher dietary rules. They also mixed it with their own traditional empanadas. This is how bourekas were created!
Bourekas Come to Israel
Over time, Sephardic Jews started moving to Palestine (which later became Israel). They brought their traditional foods, including bourekas, with them. They even opened bakeries to sell these pastries.
After Israel became a country in 1948, many more Sephardic Jews moved there. They brought their food traditions, and bourekas quickly became very popular. People from all backgrounds in Israel started to love them. Different Jewish groups, like those from Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria, opened eateries. They served their own unique styles and variations of bourekas.
Different Shapes of Bourekas
Israeli Bourekas come in many shapes, and these shapes actually tell you what's inside! This is important because of kashrut laws. These laws say you shouldn't eat dairy foods with meat foods. So, different shapes help people know if a boureka has cheese, meat, or something else.
- Cheese Bourekas: Often shaped like triangles, sometimes in two different sizes.
- Potato Bourekas: Usually come in a specific box shape.
- Pizza Bourekas: Look like a round tower.
- Spinach Bourekas: Often shaped like a pastry knot.
- Turkish Bourekas: Are rounded triangles and can have various fillings.
Rules for Boureka Shapes
In 2013, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel made rules about the shapes of bourekas sold by kosher bakeries.
- Dairy Bourekas (with puff pastry): Must be shaped like triangles.
- Non-dairy Bourekas (with puff pastry): Must be round or square.
- Non-dairy Bourekas (with phyllo dough): Must be triangular.
- Dairy Bourekas (with phyllo dough): Must be "snake-shaped."
How Bourekas Are Made
Making bourekas traditionally used to take many hours. They were made with fresh, rich dough, similar to puff pastry or phyllo. Sometimes, other doughs like brik or malawach are used.
To make homemade phyllo dough, a simple flour and water dough is rolled out very thin. It's then brushed with oil and layered until it's super stretchy and see-through. This is a lot of work! So, today, many people use frozen puff pastry or phyllo dough from the store.
Once the dough is ready, it's cut into different shapes. Fillings are placed in the middle, and the edges are sealed. Each boureka is then brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with seeds or seasoning. Finally, they are baked until golden brown.
You can also buy bourekas frozen in Israeli grocery stores. Popular brands like Ta'amti and Tnuva sell them in flavors like cheese, potato, and pizza.
What Toppings Go on Bourekas?
Bourekas are usually topped with different kinds of seeds. Sesame seeds are the most common. Depending on the filling, you might also see poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, nigella seeds, or za'atar.
What to Eat with Bourekas
Savory bourekas are often served with hard-boiled eggs or haminados (slow-cooked eggs). People also like to add hot sauces like skhug or harif, grated tomato, and sometimes tahini sauce. Other sides include olives, Israeli pickles, or a fresh salad.
The idea of serving bourekas with skhug and grated tomato came from the Yemenite Jewish community in Israel. They serve many of their traditional breads this way.
Bourekas in Movies
There's even a type of Israeli movie called "Bourekas film" (in Hebrew, sirtei burekas). These movies from the 1970s often showed stories about everyday Israelis, especially those from lower-class Mizrahi Jewish families. They often explored the challenges these families faced with the Ashkenazi establishment. The name "Bourekas film" is similar to "Spaghetti Western" movies.
Images for kids
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Bourekas served with Israeli salad, olives and feta cheese at an Israeli restaurant abroad.
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