Hatay Kaytaz Böreği

Appearance & taste

Hatay Kaytaz Böreği comes in two shapes: almost square, about 8.2 cm wide, 8.5 cm long and 1.3 cm high at around 62 g, or round with a diameter of about 9.6 cm and a height of 1.4 cm at around 60 g. The top is baked golden brown; the pastry is soft inside and crisp outside.

The dough is soft and airy but also somewhat crisp, creamy light brown and oily from the generous use of oil. The glossy dark red filling also colours the layer of dough beneath it reddish. The taste is oily, spicy and slightly sweet and sour: according to the specification, the tart-sweet pomegranate syrup balances the heat of the chillies, and a meaty aftertaste remains.

Production

For the filling, minced meat, onions, tomato paste, pomegranate syrup from Hatay, flakes of red chilli peppers from Samandağ, black pepper, butter and vegetable oil are mixed. The onions are salted beforehand to draw out their bitter substances. The ingredients come from Hatay; the minced meat and butter come from animals kept in the province. The pomegranate syrup is made from the local pomegranate varieties Hicaz and Katırbaşı.

The dough is rolled out into an oval by hand and shaped square or round; according to the specification, rolling it out without tearing and shaping it in a spiral at an even thickness take a lot of practice. It is then pressed down in the middle by hand and topped with 25 to 30 g of filling. Traditionally it is baked in a stone oven until the top is golden brown. All steps, from preparing the dough and filling to baking, take place in Hatay.

Origin & history

The area covers the province of Hatay with the districts of Antakya, Altınözü, Kumlu, Belen, İskenderun, Arsuz, Kırıkhan, Payas, Dörtyol, Hassa, Erzin, Samandağ, Yayladağ, Defne and Reyhanlı, between the Mediterranean and Syria.

According to the specification, the pastry can be traced back to the 17th century; the recipe and technique were passed on from master to apprentice. Traditionally it is prepared during Ramadan for breaking the fast (iftar). When pilgrims return from Mecca, they serve it, among other things, to relatives and friends. On 14 January, when the Arab Alawites in Hatay celebrate the New Year according to the Rumi calendar, it is baked on large trays in communal ovens and eaten at breakfast and dinner. It is also part of Hatay’s bathing tradition and is common in everyday life in all districts. In 1971 a tourist guide by Kemal Karaömeroğlu called it a pastry representative of Hatay.