Bougatsa

bougatsa
Type	Pastry
Place of origin	Greece
Main ingredients	Phyllo; filling ofsemolinacustard orfeta cheese or other
Media: Bougatsa

Bougatsa,bogatsa orboogatsa (Greek:μπουγάτσα[buˈɣatsa]) is aGreek breakfast food (sweet or savoury), or mid-morning snack, or midday snack.^[1][2][3][4] Bougatsa has several versions with their own filling, with the most popular thebougatsa krema (bougatsa cream) that hassemolinacustard filling used as a sweet food anddessert.

The name comes from theByzantine Greekπογάτσα (pogátsa), from the ancient Romanpānis focācius, literally "hearth bread";cf. Italianfocaccia.^[5] It may have had a classical origin in the Ancient Greek/Romanplacenta cake. A similar dessert is still known asplacenta (Greek:πλατσέντα) on the island ofLesbos in Greece.^[6][7]Placenta is a type of pancake, made from two layers of dough, usually filled with cottage cheese. Sometimes chocolate or apples are used instead. The cake is covered with honey, before being baked.^[8]

It originated inNorthern Greece, in particular the city ofSerres and city ofThessaloniki.^[9][10] Today, bougatsa can be found in Greece in specialty shops calledbougatsadika orbougatsopolia, selling bougatsa exclusively.^{[citation needed]}

The taste of bougatsa varies between regions of Greece. For example,bougatsa cream inVeria is very sweet and full of cream, while in Thessaloniki thebougatsa cream is crunchy and not that sweet, and inChania Crete thebougatsa cheese is made of localmizithra cheese (not sweet) but sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Similarly toVeria, thebougatsa cream inAthens is sweet and full of cream.^{[citation needed]}

Bougatsa is also a popular breakfast dish amongJews.^[11]

Traditional Greek bougatsa is prepared from hand-madephyllo dough wrapped around a filling. After it is baked about 30–35 minutes in the oven, it is cut into small pieces and served hot on a small plate. Thebougatsa cream is filled withsemolinacustard; it is then cut into small pieces and served hot, topped with lightly dusted powdered icing sugar and/orcinnamon.The bougatsa recipe parts are: preparing the custard filling; placing about 5 sheets of buttered phyllo pastry (also known as filo) in a baking dish; assembling the bougatsa; preheating the oven to the correct temperature and baking until the phyllo dough reaches the desired golden-brown crispness; cutting the bougatsa while still hot into small portions and serving.^[12]

Most modern bougatsa is made with machine-made phyllo, but somecafes andbakeries selling hand-made bougatsa still exist, especially in smaller towns and villages of Greece.^{[citation needed]}

There are several bougatsa food versions which have their own filling, with the most known being:^[13]

• Bougatsa cream,^[14][15][16] that hassemolinacustard, that is a sweet food anddessert
• Bougatsa cheese,^[17][18] withfeta cheese that is a savoury food
• Bougatsa cheese,^[19] withmizithra cheese
• Bougatsachocolate cream,^[20][21]
• Bougatsaapple,^[22]
• Bougatsapotatopurée
• Bougatsaspinach
• Bougatsa mix ofspinach andfeta cheese
• Βougatsaminced meat,^[23] usually a mix of beef and pork or beef and lamb

The process of making bougatsa by hand-made filo was featured on an episode ofAnthony Bourdain: No Reservations filmed in Chania, Crete.^[24][25]

• Banitsa, a similar pie fromBulgaria
• Cremeschnitte
• Focaccia
• Galaktoboureko
• Knafeh
• List of custard desserts
• Pogača
• Spanakopita, a pie made with spinach and sometimes cheese
• Tyropita, a pie made with cheese

• Greek cuisine
• Breakfast dishes
• Custard desserts
• Greek desserts
• Greek pastries
• Greek Macedonian cuisine
• Stuffed dishes
• Sephardi Jewish cuisine

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