Kürt Böreği: The Kurdish Pastry Turkey Tried to Rename

Dala Sarkis
1 day ago
5 min read

Kürt Böreği — The Kurdish Pastry They Tried to Rename

Kürt Böreği is a traditional Kurdish layered pastry — fillingless, butter-rich, and dusted with powdered sugar — that has been sold in Istanbul börek shops for over two centuries. The pastry was created in the early 1800s by a Kurdish migrant from Bingöl named Billiceli Mehmet Efendi, who sold it to Kurdish dock workers in Istanbul's Kasımpaşa. Customers called it "the Kurd's börek" — and the name stuck. In recent decades, the word "Kürt" in the name has been quietly replaced on shop signs with "küt" — a fabricated alternative that the head of Turkey's Börek Makers' Association has publicly called a fake name invented in the last ten years.

Key Takeaways

• A sweet, fillingless layered pastry made from dozens of butter-brushed dough sheets, baked golden, and topped with powdered sugar

• Created in the early 1800s by Billiceli Mehmet Efendi ("Rengo"), a Kurd from Bilice village, Kığı, Bingöl

• Named by customers who said "Kürt'ten aldık" (we bought it from the Kurd)

• During the 1980 military coup, when "Kürt" was banned, the pastry was sold as "Sade Börek" or "Küt Böreği"

• In 2023, the Börek Makers' Association confirmed "Kürt Böreği" as the original name and "küt" as fabricated

Quick Facts

Name: Kürt Böreği

Euphemised As: Küt Böreği, Sade Börek, Kete Böreği, Hamal Böreği

Type: Sweet layered pastry — fillingless, butter-rich, powdered sugar

Origin: Kurdish kömbe tradition from Bingöl, commercialised in Istanbul (Kasımpaşa, Karaköy)

Contested: Ongoing — shops replacing "Kürt" with "Küt" on signage

Origins: From Kurdish Kömbe to Istanbul Börek Shops

Kürt Böreği traces back to yağlı kömbe — oily flatbread — a staple of Kurdish households across eastern Anatolia. Kömbe is a simple, butter-rich bread baked on a flat griddle (sac) or in a tandoor, made in Kurdish villages for centuries. In the early 1800s, a Kurdish man named Mehmet Efendi from Bilice village in Kığı, Bingöl migrated to Istanbul. Known as "Rengo" (blond in Kurdish), he began selling oily kömbe to Kurdish dock workers in Kasımpaşa. These labourers needed cheap, calorie-dense food, and Rengo Mehmet's kömbe-style pastry fit the need.

Customers who didn't know his name said "Kürt'ün böreği" (the Kurd's börek) or "Kürt'ten aldık" (we bought it from the Kurd). The name stuck. As his business grew, he brought apprentices from Bilice and surrounding Kurdish villages. These Kurdish börek makers established themselves in Karaköy, developing the pastry further — including the powdered sugar topping that became its signature.

Traditional Preparation

Kürt Böreği is strikingly simple. Dough from flour, water, and salt is divided into small balls, each rolled paper-thin. Dozens of sheets are layered in a tray, each brushed generously with melted butter. There is no filling — the character comes entirely from the layers and the fat. It is baked until golden, cut into cubes, and dusted with powdered sugar. The result looks like baklava but has no nuts, no syrup — just crisp, flaky, rich layers. Traditionally served with black tea at breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

Cultural Role and Meaning

Kürt Böreği carries a specific class and migration history. It is the food of Kurdish labour migrants in Istanbul — workers, porters, and dockworkers from the eastern provinces. It was cheap, filling, and fast. One of its alternative names is "Hamal Böreği" (Porter's Börek). Its evolution from village kömbe to Istanbul börek shop staple mirrors the broader story of Kurdish rural-to-urban migration. Today it is one of the most popular böreks in Turkey, enjoyed across all social classes.

Contested Names: The Kürt-to-Küt Erasure

Unlike Kurdish coffee — where the Kurdish name was erased internationally and replaced with a Turkish one — Kürt Böreği tells a different story. Here, the Kurdish name survived in Turkish for over two centuries. The word "Kürt" appeared on shop signs, in recipe books, and on menus. But that visibility has itself become the target.

During the September 12, 1980 military coup, the word "Kürt" was effectively banned from public life. The pastry was sold as "Sade Börek" or "Küt Böreği." When the repression eased, Kürt Böreği returned. But in the last decade, "Küt Böreği" has resurfaced. Shops replace "Kürt" with "Küt" on signage. A fake etymology claims "küt" refers to the chopping sound. Critics note that grammatically, "Küt Börek" (without the possessive -ği) would be correct for a sound name — the possessive suffix only makes sense if it means "belonging to" someone.

In November 2023, Bülent Dilbağı, president of the Börek Makers' Association, made a definitive public statement: "Kürt Böreği" is the original and correct name. "Küt" has only been used in the last ten years and is fabricated. He confirmed the origin story — Billiceli Mehmet Efendi, Kurdish workers, the Kasımpaşa docks. Multiple Turkish journalists noted the irony: Turkey comfortably uses Boşnak Böreği, Çerkez Tavuğu, and Arnavut Ciğeri — but "Kürt" on a shop sign remains politically sensitive.

Timeline

Early 1800s — Rengo Mehmet migrates from Bingöl to Istanbul, sells kömbe to Kurdish dock workers

Mid-1800s — Known as "Kürt Böreği"; Kurdish apprentices establish börek shops in Karaköy

1890s — Powdered sugar added; becomes a standard börek shop offering

1980 — Military coup; "Kürt" banned; pastry sold as "Sade Börek"

c. 2013 — "Küt Böreği" resurfaces with fabricated etymology

2023 — Börek Makers' Association confirms "Kürt Böreği" as original; calls "Küt" fabricated

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kürt Böreği?

A traditional Kurdish layered pastry with no filling, made from dozens of butter-brushed dough sheets baked golden and topped with powdered sugar. It originated from Kurdish kömbe and was popularised in Istanbul in the 1800s.

Is it called Kürt Böreği or Küt Böreği?

Kürt Böreği is the original name, confirmed by the Börek Makers' Association in 2023. "Küt Böreği" is a recent euphemism created to avoid the word "Kürt" (Kurdish) in a commercial context.

Who invented Kürt Böreği?

Billiceli Mehmet Efendi, a Kurdish migrant from Bilice village in Kığı, Bingöl. He adapted the Kurdish kömbe tradition into street food sold to dock workers in 1800s Istanbul.

Is Kürt Böreği sweet or savoury?

Sweet. Unlike most Turkish böreks which are savoury with cheese or meat, Kürt Böreği has no filling and is served with powdered sugar. It resembles baklava visually but contains no nuts or syrup.

Conclusion

Kürt Böreği is a rare case where the Kurdish name survived for over two hundred years in plain sight — on Turkish shop signs, in Turkish recipe books, spoken by Turkish customers. The fact that even this name is now under pressure tells you something about the depth of the erasure. It is not just hidden names being uncovered; it is visible names being covered up. The head of Turkey's own Börek Makers' Association has called it what it is. The pastry is Kurdish. The name is Kurdish. The rest is politics.