Way back when, a long long time ago, Börek was the centerpiece of the Sultan’s six-course meal. it was revered as the culinary epitome of Ottoman culture: a taste of poetic refinement, courtly elegance and timeless urbanity.
Because the flakey, delicate nature of the film dough, it was elevated from its nomadic roots. Stemming from about the 7th century, borek was simply made from ingredients readily available to roving horsemen: grains for flour, butter, cheese, and parsley. Historians say that the development of borek comes from moving thru settled villages where the early Turkic nomads experienced fluffier baked goods. Their attempt to mimic a more domesticated existence was to roll the yufka (dough) so that it would give the essence of bread with the fluffier layers but easily cooked over an open fire.
Fast forward to the 16th century and Börek shops outnumbered sweet shops to a ratio of 4-1! As börek moved across the continent with the Turkic Nomads, the Monguls, and, eventually, the Ottomans, börek transformed with different fillings, from anchovies up by the Black Sea to zucchini and cheese in Crete.
Here, at Kahve Café, we are always coming up with new fillings to try! A few of the more distinct combinations have been the addition of a little bit of sweet and a little bit of spice. These are just a few of our flavors that we rotate in on a regular basis and the list keeps growing!
- Feta & Parsley
- Spiced Lamb and onion
- Feta, Harissa, green onion, and blueberry
- Sucuk and Kasar cheese
- Spinach and onion
- Spinach and Feta
- Feta Green onion and Aleppo Pepper
- Black Olives, feta, walnuts, green onion and Aleppo pepper
- Potato, green onion and Aleppo pepper
Have you been in to try all the different flavors yet? Which one is your favorite so far? We would love to know and love new flavor suggestions!!
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