Antakya künefesi is a traditional kunāfah variety hailing from the ancient Turkish city of Antakya, made from shredded phyllo pastry filled with creamy unsalted cheese. The origins of this dish can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, and to this day, it has remained one of the authentic representatives of Antakyan culinary heritage and traditions.

To make Antakya künefesi, the pastry is first prepared by shredding phyllo dough into thin strips and placing it into a flat, round tray. The dough, in this form known as kadayıfın, is then topped with a mixture of unsalted cheese, traditionally Hatay peyniri, and another layer of shredded phyllo dough. 

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.

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. 

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.

The ancient Anatolian city of Antep, today known as Gaziantep, is Türkiye's gastronomic capital famous for being home to the world’s finest pistachios and the delicious Antep baklavası. Originally an Ottoman legacy, baklava is regarded as one of the greatest creations from the pastry chefs at Topkapı Sarayı, the major royal residence of Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th century.

Baklava was traditionally prepared for Eid-al-Fitr, also known in Türkiye as Ramazan or Şeker Bayramı, a religious holiday when Muslims celebrate the ending of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Today, this Turkish treat is available year-round, and with more than 500 baklava bakeries in the city of Gaziantep, it is definitely not to be missed, especially during the pistachio harvest from midsummer to September, when these emerald-colored nuts are just the right size for baklava. 

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.

The remarkable baklava is a luscious dessert created with layers of thin phyllo dough intertwined with chopped nuts, all doused in a sweet, viscous syrup. The popularity of baklava has long surpassed borders, regions, and ethnic groups to become a dessert whose origin and invention is claimed by numerous countries.

It is probable that it has an Assyrian origin, dating back to the 8th century, from where it spread out throughout the region all the way to Greece. The Greeks altered the recipe and created the thin sheets, known today as phyllo dough, but modern-day baklava is believed to be an original Turkish creation. 

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.

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.