Burek

One of the good things about traveling in the Balkans is the burek. Burek is popular for breakfast, but it also makes a great snack or midday meal.



It originated in Turkey but is popular in all of the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

The pastry consists of layers of thin, flaky phyllo dough that is filled with various ingredients and then baked or fried. Normally it has a type of feta cheese or ground meat & onions. While not as popular as the meat or cheese variety, my favorite is the spinach burek. In Ljubljana you can even find apple burek. I never tried the apple because to me that sounds less like burek and more like strudel.

You can find burek at most bakeries. You can even find dedicated burek stands. Burek and a cup of plain yogurt makes for a great, cheap breakfast.