Tasty Savory Pastries

From the town of Recco, which is the gastronomic capital of Liguria, a region in Italy comes tasty cheese-filled Focaccia di Recco. They can be purchased in every bakery, pizzeria, and restaurant. These delectable pastries were created in the 12th century when according to legend the residents of Recco were making food for the Crusaders using what little ingredients they had - flour, water, olive oil, and cheese.

Focaccia di Recco is different from other focaccia flatbreads since it is made without yeast. Then the crust is rolled out paper-thin and filled with soft, mild, cow's milk cheese known as stracchino or crescenza. By the end of the 1800s, Focaccia di Recco had become pastries traditionally served on celebration days like All Saint's Day. Today the pastries are eaten all throughout the year and since 1955 Recco hosts the annual festive Festa della Focaccia every last week of May.

Pastel de Chaves are clam-shaped pastries from Portugal. The puff pastry shells are filled with a combination of minced veal, bread, and onions. The tradition of preparing these pastries dates back to 1862. Legend has it that the first person to sell them was Teresa Feliz Barreira who was the founder of Casa do Antigo Pasteleiro, the first place you could buy Pastel de Chaves.

The original recipe stayed with Barreira for 75 years and then in the 1940s other bakeries started making it as well. The town of Chaves has protected this popular pastry as their authentic product and it has been licensed to them, so Pastel de Chaves can only be produced and sold in their town. The town makes over 25,000 of these delicious pastries every day.

A popular pastry and the specialty of Cornwall in England is Cornish pasty. The pastry is shaped like the letter-D or a half-moon. It is crispy on the outside and juicy inside filled with beef and different root vegetables and seasonings. Before baking to give the pastry a golden color it is covered with egg wash or milk glazing. The filling is a combination of diced beef, potatoes, turnips, onions, herbs, and seasonings.

Cornish pasty was created as a simple portable meal to be eaten by tin miners for lunch and the thick crust kept the filling warm longer.

Burek is popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina but actually has Turkish origins. Bureks are usually filled with meat but can also be filled with sirnica or cheese and krumpirusa or potatoes. Burek can be round and cut into quarters or rolled into a coil.

These pastries were introduced to the region in the 15th century and prepared as round pies. After WW II burek became popular in Croatia and Slovenia. They are delectable pastries that are often eaten for breakfast.

Boyoz is a Turkish pastry that was introduced to the country by Sephardic Jewish immigrants coming from Spain in the late 15th century. Today the pastries are exclusively made in Izmir, according to the original recipe. The pastry is made with flour, sunflower oil, and tahini.

The tahini lets the dough rise in layers. Boyoz pastries are filled with cheese, meat, olives, artichokes, or spinach. When served for breakfast they are accompanied by hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with black pepper and a cup of Turkish tea.

Paszteckiki are popular pastries in Poland. They are made with yeast dough or buttery dough that is filled with such ingredients as mushrooms, cabbage, or minced meat. They are a part of the traditional Polish cuisine and can be served with different hearty soups.

Pasztecik Szcecinski was created in the 1960s produced by machine and deep-fried and today are listed as a traditional Polish product that can only be made according to the original recipe.

Tiropita is a popular Greek snack that is made with sheets of phyllo dough and filled with a mix of cheese which is usually feta and eggs, The pastries are triangular in shape and brushed with melted butter before baking. They can be found in almost every bakery in Greece and are commonly served as appetizers with dips on the side. Tiropita can also be served as a mid-morning snack.

A popular snack from Hungary is Pogacsa. These are small bite-sized pastries that can be either savory or sweet. They should typically be eaten while still hot and are round-shaped. The pastries can be filled with cheese, cabbage, potatoes, bacon or pumpkin seeds.

There is a folk tale that tells of the main hero who takes along a Pogacsa that has been baked in embers on his long journeys so it has become a traditional snack.

Created by the Malays on the Malay Peninsula and parts of Sumatra and Borneo, Karipap is a small pastry shell that is deep-fried or baked and filled with thick chicken and potato curry. The pastry can be found in stores, bars, and markets and has become a popular breakfast food or eaten as an afternoon snack. Karipap is always crispy and flaky on the outside and soft inside.

It has also become popular outside of Malaysia, especially in Thailand and Singapore. There are different variations of this pastry as well and can also be filled with tuna, sardines, or beef rendang.

Longevity Peach is a specialty from China but has nothing to do with fruit. This is the name of a white pastry that has a reddish tip and takes the shape of a peach. The pastry can be filled with red bean paste, lotus paste, or custard and often served at birthday parties and banquets since peaches have long been sacred items to the Chinese.

This pastry represents a celestial peach, ripening once every few thousand years. Legend has it that people who eat it will become immortal. Longevity Peach can be purchased in pastry shops, supermarkets, and food stalls. The pastry is one of the most popular Chinese pastries.

Jamaican Patties have become popular street food in Jamaica but can also be served as a main course, These are tasty meat patties baked in half-moon shapes and coated with turmeric on the outside, On the inside is a delectable filling with ground beef, breadcrumbs, and a variety of spices. They have become very popular in many countries all over the world.