x0x Pastry dishes from Trakya

The northeast corner of Turkey, known as Trakya, forms a land bridge
between Europe and Asia, and this geographically strategic position is
reflected in its rich cultural heritage, whether in foodways,
folklore, folk dances or music. Throughout history people have
migrated both eastwards and westwards through this region, carrying
their own cultures to new lands, and the Trakya cuisine is a
delectable example of the resulting acculturation, as illustrated by
the wide range of delicious soups, vegetable dishes, meat dishes,
sweet dishes and pastries. In modern times two major waves of
migration have affected the cultural and social structure of Trakya
today. The first of these was the arrival of Pomaks and Gacals from
the Balkans following the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-78, and the
second the arrival of Gacals, Pomaks and Romanian Muslims from
Thessalonica and other parts of Greece in 1923 and 1924 following the
signing of the Lausanne Treaty.

In addition the 1930s saw migrants arrive from Bulgaria to settle in
Trakya, making their own contribution to the cultural mosaic created
by the numerous ethnic groups in the region. Although the rapid pace
of modern life has affected the traditional cuisine to a certain
extent, some dishes being dropped from the culinary repertoire of a
younger generation that has less time to spend in the kitchen, many
old favourites are still as popular as ever. Typical regional dishes
include fried liver, liver stew, liver rissoles, leek soup, potato
soup, poached eggs with yoghurt, broad bean pure, green bean stew,
peppers with Lor cheese, ke$kek (a porridge of boiled wheat, lamb and
cinnamon), and a range of helvas, sweet pastries, and pelte (pudding
of fruit juice thickened with starch). Trakya cuisine tends to be
light, features an abundance of vegetable dishes, and uses
easy-to-find ingredients and simple cooking techniques.

The cuisine is particularly noted for its baked, fried and boiled
pastries and pastas in myriad varieties, with fillings including
cheese, minced meat, spinach, chicken, potato, marrow, leeks and
aubergines. A number of flour-based products are still made at home in
summer for consumption during the winter, such as tarhana (a dough of
flour, yogurt and various other ingredients which is dried, crumbled
and used to make soup), eri$te (ribbon pasta), couscous and dried
yufka (thin pastry sheets). Towards the end of summer, neighbours get
together in a different house every day, and while helping with the
preparation of these winter provisions for each family enjoy
socialising at the same time. It is unfortunately rare to find
examples of typical regional dishes in local restaurants, so for those
without friends from Trakya to offer them home cooking, the only way
to taste this delicious cuisine is to try some of the recipe selection
given here. We hope you enjoy both the making and the eating of these
typical savoury pastry dishes from Trakya.

* Ummuhan Kazanc is a freelance writer.

Pastry dishes from Trakya

MANTI
For the pastry: 1 kg flour 1 egg 1 tsp salt Other ingredients: 2
onions 1/2 cup oil 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 cups rice 1 cup bulgur 250 g
minced meat 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 boiled chicken or duck
Method: Finely chop the onions and fry in the oil. Add the tomato
paste, rice, bulgur and minced meat and continued to stir until the
minced meat colours. Add salt and black pepper, stir in 1 cup of water
and set aside. Mix the flour, egg and salt into a fairly soft dough,
adding water gradually as necessary. Divide the dough into onion sized
pieces and roll out thinly (2 mm) one at a time. Cut the pastry into 3
cm squares and place half a teaspoonful of the stuffing into the
centre of each. Grasping opposite corners, press together in the
centre to form little bundle shaped packages and place in a greased
baking tray. Bake the manti in a hot oven for approximately 15 minutes
until coloured on top and underneath. Pour the stock from the boiled
chicken or duck over the manti, and arrange pieces of the meat over.

Replace in the oven for 10 minutes and serve hot.

PIRASA BOREGI
Borek Stuffed with Leeks

For the pastry: 1/2 kg flour 1 egg 1/4 cup
vinegar 1/4 cup oil 1 tps salt For the filling: 6 large leeks 3
tomatoes 1 egg salt, black pepper, flaked red pepper
Method: Finely chop the leeks and tomatoes. Add 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon
each of salt, black pepper and flaked red pepper. Now prepare the
pastry by mixing the flour, 1 egg, vinegar, oil and 1 teaspoon of salt
with sufficient water to make a soft dough. Taking an onion sized
piece roll out very thinly (1 mm) into a circle. Divide the circle in
two, and placing a tablespoonful of the leek mixture across the centre
of one semicircle of pastry, roll up lengthways like a cigar. Form
this roll into a spiral. Arrange the spiral pastries in a greased
baking tray, brush with a little oil and bake in a preheated medium
oven.

KABAK BOREGI
Borek with Baby Marrow

For the pastry: 1/2 kg flour 1 egg 1/4 cup
vinegar 1/4 cup oil For the filling: 1 baby marrow 2 onions 1 egg 1
tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried mint 1 tsp sugar
Method: Peel and grate the marrow, then squeeze to remove the juice.

Finely chop and fry the onion, then add the grated marrow, egg, salt,
black pepper, dried mint and sugar. Mix the flour, egg, vinegar, oil
and salt to a soft dough, adding water gradually as necessary. Divide
the dough into 12 pieces the size of tangerines and roll them out in
very thin (1 mm) circles. Leave the rolled out pastry to rest for five
minutes, and then spread in a large greased baking tray (60-70 cm in
diameter), sprinkling a little oil between each layer, and spreading
half the filling over the fourth and eighth circles of pastry. Cut
into portions as desired and bake in a preheated medium oven for 30-40
minutes.

CIZLEME
Ingredients: 1/2 l milk 1/2 l water 2 eggs 2 tsp salt 1 small cube
fresh yeast approx 6 cups flour
Method: Mix the milk, water, eggs, salt and yeast, then gradually add
flour, beating well, until the mixture has the consistency of a thick
pancake batter. Pour a ladleful of the mixture at a time into a hot
nonstick frying pan or onto a griddle until the underside is coloured.

Spread butter on top of the cooked cizleme and serve plain, with
cheese, tomatoes, or sprinkled with sugar.

TATAR BOREGI (CIG BOREK)
For the pastry: 1/2 kg flour 1 small cube of fresh yeast 1 tsp salt
For the filling: 1/2 kg minced meat 3 onions 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black
pepper 1 tsp flaked red pepper 1 cup chopped parsley
Method: Mix the minced meat, chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt and
black pepper together. Make a soft dough with the flour, yeast, salt
and sufficient water. Divide the dough into pieces the size of
tangerines. Roll these out into circles the size of tea plates and
spread some of the minced meat mixture onto one half, leaving a margin
around the edge. Fold over and press down the edges well. Cook in a
hot nonstick pan or on a griddle. Spread butter on both sides and
serve hot