Burek in Mostar, Hercegovina
Find the Best of this Ethnic Snack at a Little Cafe Called Bosfor
In Bosnia-Hercegovina's Mostar, savory burek isn't hard to find, but you'd do well to seek out Bosfor for the traditional, unusual - and delicious - Bosnian breakfast
Like most ethnic foods, burek, a savory meat pie from Bosnia (by way of Turkey), is best enjoyed on native soil. Widely eaten for breakfast in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Serbia and other countries of the former Yugoslavia, burek is often sold pre-made in bakeries, usually stuffed with meat, cheese or potato. Ideally, however, it’s eaten hot and freshly cooked, right off the griddle, and such opportunities aren’t so widespread, especially for foreigners – you have to know where to go. And in Mostar, the unofficial capital city of Hercegovina, you go to Bosfor.
Ninety minutes east of Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, just off a highway lined with orange groves and their vendors, Mostar is a fascinating city that wears its war wounds on its sleeve. Historically home to Muslims, Christians and Jews alike, the city suffered much damage – from both the Serbian army and its own warring citizens – in the early ’90s, which culminated in the destruction of its famed, 500-year-old Old Bridge (Stari Most) in 1993. Today, although the bullet-ridden front line still stands, the city has shrugged off its dismal past in favor of an optimistic future. Much of its picturesque Old Town, the cobblestoned Ottoman quarter, has been rebuilt – including the graceful stone bridge, in 2004. Tucked among the 16th-century mosques, Turkish souvenir stalls and leafy riverfronts are lively eateries and bars, including the small, nondescript Bosfor.
Bosfor’s chalkboard menu and rustic wooden tables, a stone’s throw from the rushing Radobolja River, might easily be passed over in favor of fancier cafés, but its wood-burning stove method of cooking burek is hugely popular among locals. Burek is prepared in the traditional Bosnian way here – as skinny, individually stuffed rolls of dough cooked in concentric circles under a sac, a large iron pan. The larger pie is sliced into triangle-shaped servings, although those heavenly meat-filled tubes sometimes break apart. Snag an outdoor table, flag down the surly waitress, and order a slice – the meso (meat) burek is recommended, but vegetarians should go for sir (cheese). Ask for a glass of thick, white yogurt to drink – besides being the traditional burek accompaniment, it offers a wee bit of nutritional reassurance, for those of us keeping track.
A generous, steaming slice of burek will be plopped down before you on a round tin plate within minutes. Note the crispy phyllo dough exterior – slightly burnt outside, soft and chewy inside – and the spicy ground beef filling, flavored with sautéed onions. The cool yogurt, surprisingly soothing, coats the throat between hot bites. The cost for such early-morning decadence? Less than $2. An unusual breakfast for American tastes, sure, but you’ll never look at pancakes quite the same.
Bosfor
Ulica Jusovina, Stari Grad (Old Town)
Mostar, Bosna i Hercegovina
ph: +387 61 273 690
