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Trigona panoramatos is a traditional sweet pastry originating from the outskirts of Thessaloniki. These crispy and buttery triangular (cone-shaped) phyllo pastries are typically soaked in syrup and filled with creamy custard. The custard is usually made with a combination of egg yolks, flour, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream.
The phyllo triangles are baked until golden brown, dipped in cold syrup consisting of sugar and water, and then filled with the chilled custard. Trigona is often garnished with chopped nuts before consumption.
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Bougatsa is a traditional, rustic Greek pie consisting of a phyllo pastry layered with a filling of semolina custard, although there are variations with minced meat or cheese. The name of the dish is a derivation of the Ottoman word pogatsa, denoting a pie filled with cheese.
Bougatsa has origins from the Byzantine period, when Constantinople was Greek, and it began as a dough that was stuffed with numerous sweet and savory fillings. Over time, bougatsa evolved to incorporate a thinly rolled, hand-made phyllo pastry. As many Turkish immigrants settled in Northen Greece, bougatsa became a specialty of Serres and Thessaloniki.
MOST ICONIC Bougatsa
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The Bulgarian pie banitsa made with cheese is the main version of this traditional pie. It's made by layering sheets of buttered phyllo pastry with a combination of eggs, yogurt, and cheese such as sirene and feta. There's an optional ingredient in the preparation of banitsa and it's baking soda, which makes the yogurt rise and makes the pie fluffier and richer in flavor.
Traditionally, banitsa with cheese was prepared and served on Christmas and New Year's Eve, but nowadays it can also be bought throughout the year at grocery stores, street vendors, kiosks, and pretty much everywhere. Apart from this basic variety, there are also other types of savory or sweet banitsa pies filled with various vegetables and fruits.
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Zelnik is a traditional North Macedonian pie that can be filled with a variety of different ingredients such as cheese, spinach, eggs, meat, leeks, or cabbage. For the best result, zelnik should be brushed with butter and oil before baking, so that the pie develops a golden-brown color.
Zelnik is best when served warm, and it is recommended to pair it with a glass of yogurt.
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Burek consists of layers of phyllo dough stuffed with various savory fillings. Despite its Turkish origins, this dish has evolved into a proud gem of Bosnian national cuisine. Although most locals claim that only burek with ground beef can be called burek, the same dish also appears with other fillings, and these other varieties are known by different names: sirnica (cottage cheese), zeljanica (spinach), and krompiruša (potatoes).
Burek is baked rolled into a snail-like shape and this type is typically found in bakeries, while traditional restaurants often make it in the form of a pie, which is sliced into quarters before serving. The dish is wildly popular all across the Balkans, though in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cultural significance of this everyday staple is incomparable and best summed up in a number of local proverbs suggesting that if a woman can make a good burek, she's eligible for marriage.
MOST ICONIC Burek
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Tiropita is a popular Greek snack consisting of sheets of phyllo dough that are filled with a combination of cheese (usually feta) and eggs. The dish is typically wrapped in triangular pieces and brushed with melted butter before baking. This tasty pastry is found in almost every Greek bakery, although it is commonly served as an appetizer, when it is accompanied by numerous dips on the side.
There are several theories about its origin, but most link the dish with either Byzantine, Roman, or Turkish cuisine. Tiropita is mostly consumed in the mid-morning in Greece, since breakfast is usually reserved only for bread with butter and a cup of coffee.
VARIATIONS OF Tiropita
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This traditional Greek dessert consists of numerous phyllo sheets that are sprinkled with melted butter and coupled with a light semolina custard. When baked and well-chilled, the pastry is traditionally doused in the orange spiced, sugary syrup, allowing the layers to absorb the flavors and transform galaktoboureko into a soft, velvety treat.
This Greek classic is commonly found in pastry shops and traditional taverns across the country.
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Burek sa sirom is a phyllo pastry that is round or coil-shaped and filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs. The dough is made with flour, salt, and water (and perhaps a bit of oil) and stretched into translucent sheets. The sheets of phyllo dough are stacked in a large tray, and each sheet is sprinkled with oil or oil and mineral water and spread with the cheese and egg filling.
Still, you might have heard that burek can only be called burek if it's filled with meat. That is, if you live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not everyone does, nor is burek really Bosnian – in fact, it has Turkish origins. In Bosnia, burek (with meat) and other types of similar pies such as sirnica (cheese) and krumpiruša (potatoes) are usually rolled into a coil, while Croatians and Serbs have a more relaxed approach – burek can be round and cut into quarters, or rolled into a coil – both shapes are good, and both can be called burek sa sirom (when filled with cheese, of course).
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Sirnica is a savory Bosnian pie consisting of phyllo dough that is filled with a combination of fresh cow cheese, sour cream, and eggs. Thin sheets of dough, locally known as jufka, are spread with the cheese mixture and the whole pie is traditionally rolled into a spiral.
Before serving, sirnica is occasionally sprinkled with water, oil, or milk. Although it can be enjoyed on its own, this savory pie is often accompanied by yogurt or sour cream.
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Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie consisting of a buttery, flaky phyllo pastry with a filling of cooked spinach, lemon juice, feta cheese, and sometimes dill. It can be served either as a small snack, an appetizer, or a light main course. Due to a farming tradition of handheld foods, the pies were originally invented for the field workers who would carry them in their pockets and consume them while working.
Although spanakopita has humble beginnings, it has risen to greater gastronomic heights, so today it can be found in most Greek diners, taverns, and upscale restaurants. It is likely that the dish originated 400 years ago, during the Turkish occupation of Greece, since a Turkish dish called ispanaki is almost identical in presentation.
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