Börek

Anatolia and former Ottoman territories — börek is one of the oldest documented Ottoman dishes; regional variants extend from the Balkans to Central Asia

Turkey's defining pastry category encompasses yufka (paper-thin dough) layered with various fillings — spinach and white cheese (ıspanaklı peynirli), minced meat (kıymalı), or potato — then baked, fried, or poached in varied regional formats. Su böreği ('water börek') from the Bursa region is the most technically demanding: the yufka sheets are briefly boiled in salted water, then layered with filling and baked — the water-cooking produces a uniquely tender, almost pasta-like layer texture distinct from the flaky, dry-baked versions. Sigara böreği (cigarette börek) are rolled, deep-fried cylinders eaten as street snacks. The word börek covers a vast family unified by yufka dough and savoury filling; each regional variant is a distinct preparation.

Served as a breakfast item, meze, or snack at tea time; ayran alongside the cheese version; a slice of börek with çay is one of the canonical Turkish mid-morning breaks; sigara böreği appear at the start of mezes with raki