View source for Savory spinach pie

{{short description|Savory spinach pastry}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Savory spinach pie
| image = Spanakopita.jpg
| caption = Piece of layered variety of savory spinach pie
| alternate_name = zeljanica, spanakopita, ispanaklı Selanik böreği, ispanaklı Boşnak böreği
| country = [[Turkey]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Serbia]], [[Croatia]], [[Montenegro]], [[Albania]], [[Kosovo]], [[Greece]]
| region = 
| course = 
| type = [[Börek]] ([[savoury pie]])
| served = Hot
| main_ingredient = [[Phyllo]], [[spinach]] (or [[leek]]s, [[chard]], or [[sorrel]]), [[White_cheese#Southeastern_Europe|white cheese]] (''mladi sir'', or [[beyaz peynir]], or [[feta]], or [[ricotta]]), [[Egg (food)|eggs]], sometimes [[onion]]s or [[scallion]]s
| variations = 
| calories = 
| other = 
}}

'''Savory spinach pie''' is a pastry eaten throughout [[Southeastern Europe]]. The filling is made of chopped [[spinach]] (sometimes [[chard]]) and usually feta or white cheese, and [[Egg (food)|egg]].

== Etymology and history ==

=== Turkey ===
''Ispanaklı Selanik Böreği'' and/or ''Ispanaklı Boşnak Böreği,''<ref>{{Cite web |last=withbeyond.com |title=Buğdaydan Gelen Lezzetler Börekler |url=https://www.skylife.com/tr/2011-02/bugdaydan-gelen-lezzetler-borekler |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626115813/https://www.skylife.com/tr/2011-02/bugdaydan-gelen-lezzetler-borekler |archive-date=2021-06-26 |access-date=2021-06-26 |website=Skylife |language=tr}}</ref> is a [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]] savory [[spinach]] [[pie]], or ''[[börek]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selanik böreği nasıl yapılır, özelliği nedir? İşte ıspanaklı Selanik böreği tarifi |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/selanik-boregi-nasil-yapilir-ozelligi-nedir-iste-ispanakli-selanik-boregi-tarifi-41659067 |access-date=2021-05-02 |website=www.hurriyet.com.tr |language=tr |archive-date=2020-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115104050/https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/selanik-boregi-nasil-yapilir-ozelligi-nedir-iste-ispanakli-selanik-boregi-tarifi-41659067 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ulu Önder Atatürk'ün sevdiği yemekler ve tarifleri |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/galeri-olum-yildonumunde-ulu-onder-ataturkun-sevdigi-yemekler-ve-tarifleri-41659311 |access-date=2021-05-02 |website=www.hurriyet.com.tr |language=tr |archive-date=2021-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502133737/https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/lezizz/galeri-olum-yildonumunde-ulu-onder-ataturkun-sevdigi-yemekler-ve-tarifleri-41659311 |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''börek'' gets its name from either [[Salonica Vilayet|Selanik]] (Thessaloniki) or Bosnia as it is widely common in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

=== Bosnia and Herzegovina ===
''Zeljanica'' in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a savory pie filled with spinach, or sometime [[chard]] (in Serbo-Croatian ''blitva''); the word [[Börek|burek]] (Turkish ''börek'') is a pie filled with [[minced meat]].<ref name="aa.com.tr-Simpatična">{{cite web |author1=Elvır Hodzıc |author2=Stipe Majic |date=16 Oct 2022 |title=Simpatična regionalna rasprava u pat poziciji: Bio šareni, sjeckani ili buredžik, u Bosni je burek samo s mesom |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/ba/balkan/simpati%C4%8Dna-regionalna-rasprava-u-pat-poziciji-bio-%C5%A1areni-sjeckani-ili-bured%C5%BEik-u-bosni-je-burek-samo-s-mesom/2712905 |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=www.aa.com.tr |archive-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129174118/https://www.aa.com.tr/ba/balkan/simpati%C4%8Dna-regionalna-rasprava-u-pat-poziciji-bio-%C5%A1areni-sjeckani-ili-bured%C5%BEik-u-bosni-je-burek-samo-s-mesom/2712905 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="izdvojeno.ba">{{cite web |date=18 October 2022 |title=KAKO JE POPULARNO JELO PODIJELILO REGIJU: Čuj "burek sa sirom" |url=https://izdvojeno.ba/kako-je-popularno-jelo-podijelilo-regiju-cuj-burek-sa-sirom/ |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=Izdvojeno.ba |language=bs-BA}}</ref><ref name="Punkufer.hr-Mit">{{cite web |date=30 Oct 2014 |title=Mit je razbijen - burek nije isključivo s mesom! |url=https://punkufer.dnevnik.hr/clanak/razbili-smo-mit-burek-nije-iskljucivo-s-mesom---358810.html |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=Punkufer.hr}}</ref>

[[TasteAtlas]], an encyclopedia of traditional dishes, in their presentation of the 100 best pastries in the world ranked Bosnian and Herzegovinian traditional pastry dishes, putting ''zeljanica'' above ''burek'', [[Savory cheese pie|''sirnica'']] and [[Savory potato pie|''krompiruša'']].<ref name="Fokus.ba-taste-atlas">{{cite web |date=24 February 2023 |title=Zeljanica prestigla burek: Taste Atlas odabrao 100 najboljih peciva svijeta |url=https://www.fokus.ba/magazin/taj-ludi-svijet/zeljanica-prestigla-burek-taste-atlas-odabrao-100-najboljih-peciva-svijeta/2506207/ |access-date=29 January 2024 |website=Fokus.ba |language=bs-BA |archive-date=29 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129174118/https://www.fokus.ba/magazin/taj-ludi-svijet/zeljanica-prestigla-burek-taste-atlas-odabrao-100-najboljih-peciva-svijeta/2506207/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Greece ===
{{for|the Venture Bros. episode|List of The Venture Bros. episodes#Spanakopita}}
'''''Spanakopita''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|p|æ|n|ə|ˈ|k|ɒ|p|ɪ|t|ə|,_|ˌ|s|p|ɑː|-|,_|-|ˈ|k|oʊ|-}}; {{langx|el|σπανακόπιτα}}, from {{lang|el|σπανάκι}} ''spanáki'' 'spinach', and πίτα ''píta'' 'pie') is a [[Greece|Greek]] savory spinach [[pie]].<ref name="clifford" /> It often also contains cheese, typically [[feta]], and may then be called ''spanakotiropita'' ({{langx|el|σπανακοτυρόπιτα}} "spinach-cheese pie"), especially in [[northern Greece]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} In [[southern Greece]], the term spanakopita is also common for the versions with cheese. A version without [[cheese]] and [[Egg as food|eggs]] is eaten during [[Fasting#Eastern Orthodoxy|religious fasts]] throughout Greece. Spanakopita appears in many traditional Greek cookery books and appears in numerous restaurants and hotel menus throughout [[Greece]] and internationally.

==Ingredients and variations==

The traditional filling comprises chopped [[spinach]], feta cheese, [[onion]]s or [[scallion]]s, [[Egg (food)|egg]], and [[seasoning]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Zane |first=Eva |date=1992 |title=Greek Cooking for the Gods |location=Santa Rosa, California |publisher=The Cole Group |isbn=978-1-56426-501-2}}</ref> Other white, preferably salted cheeses such as [[kefalotiri]] may also be mixed with the feta cheese, and some may be used as a substitute for feta cheese. Herbs such as [[dill]], [[Mentha|mint]] and [[parsley]] may be used as flavouring.<ref name=cloake /> The filling is wrapped or layered in [[phyllo]] (filo) pastry with [[butter]] or [[olive oil]], either in a large pan from which individual servings are cut, or rolled into individual triangular servings.<ref name=clifford>{{cite book |title=The Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More |first= Clifford |last=Wright |publisher=Harvard Common Press |date= 2003|isbn= 978-1558322271 |pages= 268&ndash;269}}</ref>  While the filo-dough recipe is most common, some recipes use a village-style pastry ''horiatiko'', which has a thicker crust.<ref name=cloake>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/aug/22/how-to-cook-the-perfect-spanakopita-greek-spinach-feta-pie |title=How to make the perfect spanakopita |first=Felicity |last=Cloake |author-link=Felicity Cloake |date=22 August 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109024706/https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/aug/22/how-to-cook-the-perfect-spanakopita-greek-spinach-feta-pie |url-status=live }}</ref> It can also be made with [[puff pastry]]. The pastry is golden in colour when baked, the colour often enhanced by butter and [[egg yolk]]. It can be served straight from the oven or at room temperature.{{CN|date=February 2020}}

There is a "[[fasting]]" ({{lang|el|νηστίσιμη}}; "nistisimi"), or [[vegan]], version of spanakopita, eaten during [[Great Lent|Lent]] and other religious fasts. This version has spinach, onions or green onions, other green herbs like dill, parsley, or [[celery]] as filling and uses [[olive oil]] and a little [[wheat flour]] but no [[egg (food)|eggs]] or [[dairy]] products.  The mixture is [[oven]]-baked until crisp. Non-traditional vegan versions are available that typically use [[tofu]] instead of cheese.<ref>{{cite web |last=Galer-Unti |first=Caitlin |url=https://theveganword.com/vegan-greek-spinach-feta-pie-spanakopita/ |title=Vegan Spanakopita (Greek Spinach & Feta Pie |date=7 May 2016 |work=Vegan World |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028164200/https://theveganword.com/vegan-greek-spinach-feta-pie-spanakopita/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In rural Greece, smaller amounts of spinach are used, with the missing amount replaced with [[leek]]s, [[chard]] and [[sorrel]].{{CN|date=February 2020}}

==Related pastries==
''Börek''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Home : Oxford English Dictionary |url=https://www.oed.com/start;jsessionid=214A0B5E068FCF2739B012D6DAB8F105?authRejection=true&url=%2Fview%2FEntry%2F276195%3FredirectedFrom%3Dborek |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925085850/https://www.oed.com/start;jsessionid=214A0B5E068FCF2739B012D6DAB8F105?authRejection=true&url=%2Fview%2FEntry%2F276195%3FredirectedFrom%3Dborek |archive-date=2021-09-25 |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=www.oed.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=BOREK {{!}} Definition of BOREK by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of BOREK |url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/borek |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916204411/https://www.lexico.com/definition/borek |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |access-date=2021-09-25 |website=Lexico Dictionaries {{!}} English |language=en}}</ref> or ''burek'' is a family of pastries or pies found in the [[Balkans]], [[Middle East]] and [[Central Asia]]. The pastry is made of a thin flaky [[dough]] such as [[filo]] with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. Boreks are mainly associated with the [[Levantine cuisine|Middle East]], [[Armenian cuisine|Armenia]], and also with the former [[Ottoman cuisine|Ottoman Empire]], including the [[Balkan cuisine|Balkans]] and the [[List of dishes from the Caucasus|South Caucasus]], [[Eastern European cuisine|Eastern European]] and [[Central European cuisine|Central European]] countries, [[Maghrebi cuisine|Northern Africa]] and [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asia]].{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

==See also==
{{portal|Food|Greece}}
*[[Tiropita]], a traditional Greek pie made with cheese
*[[Burek]]
*[[Rustico (pastry)]]
*[[Gibanica]]
*[[Bougatsa]]
*[[List of Turkish dishes]]
*[[List of Greek dishes]]
*[[List of pies, tarts and flans]]
*[[List of snack foods]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Cuisine of Turkey}}
{{Greek pitas}}
{{Cuisine of Greece}}
{{Cheese dishes}}
{{pastries}}

[[Category:Australian pies]]
[[Category:Turkish pastries]]
[[Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina pastries]]
[[Category:Greek pastries]]
[[Category:Savoury pies]]
[[Category:Snack foods]]
[[Category:Spinach dishes]]
[[Category:Lenten foods]]

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