Simit, Börek, and Şekerpare: A Turkish Pastry Primer

If you're new to Turkish pastry, these three are the easiest place to start — and the ones you'll find on our own menu.

Simit is often called Turkey's bagel, and the comparison is fair but incomplete: it's a ring of bread coated in sesame seeds, but the dough is thinner and the crust crisper than a bagel's, closer to a cross between a bagel and a pretzel. It's sold on street corners across Turkey and eaten any time of day, breakfast included.

Börek is a savory pastry made from thin layers of phyllo-like dough, usually filled with cheese, spinach, or minced meat, then baked or pan-fried until the layers crisp up. Think of it as Turkey's answer to a savory hand pie.

Şekerpare is a small semolina cookie, baked until golden, then soaked in a sugar syrup while still warm — dense, sweet, and usually served alongside tea rather than as a stand-alone dessert.

All three show up on our Turkish Breakfast Plate and in the pastry case, made the traditional way rather than adapted for an American palate.