Brik facts for kids
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| Main ingredients | Eggs, pastry |
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Brik (/briːk/ breek; بريك) is a tasty dish from North Africa. It is a type of stuffed pastry, often deep-fried until crispy. You might hear it called burek in some places.
The most famous kind is the egg brik. It has a whole egg tucked inside a triangular pastry pocket. Other yummy ingredients like chopped onion, tuna, spicy harissa, and fresh parsley are often added.
In countries like Algeria and Libya, this dish is known as bourek (بوراك). It has the same ingredients and is made in a similar way. Brik is also very popular in Israel, especially because many people there have Tunisian family roots. Sometimes, brik is filled with a raw egg and herbs, or tuna, harissa, and olives. It can even be served inside a pita bread! This version is sometimes called a boreeka.
The special pastry for brik is made in a unique way. A sticky ball of dough is quickly spread onto a hot, non-stick surface. It forms thin, overlapping circles to get the right size. These thin dough sheets are called malsouka or warka. Common fillings for brik include tuna, ground meat, raw egg, chicken, or anchovies. People often add harissa, capers, or cheese for extra flavor.
Where Does Brik Come From?
It's a bit tricky to know exactly where brik first came from. This delicious food has been around for at least 500 years! Even today, it has different names across the Middle East. You might hear it called bric, börek, burek, warqa, or malsouka.
No matter what it's called, all types of brik share some key things. They all have a crispy, deep-fried pastry crust. And they always have a protein filling, like tuna or egg, inside the wrapper. A popular French version is called brik a l'oeuf, which means "brik with egg."
How to Make a Classic Brik
Making a classic Tunisian Brik is quite simple. First, you take the thin pastry sheet and fold it into a triangle shape. Then, you carefully put the mixed ingredients inside the wrapper. After that, you heat the brik in a frying pan. You cook it for about two to three minutes on each side until it's golden and crispy.
See also
In Spanish: Brik para niños
