If you have never tried su borek, you are missing one of the most extraordinary things Turkish cuisine has to offer. And if you have tried it, you already know why we are so excited to carry it.
What Is Su Borek?
Su borek (also written as su boregi or Turkish water pastry) is a traditional Turkish pastry that stands apart from every other borek because of one extraordinary step in its preparation: the dough sheets are individually boiled in water before being assembled.
This is where the name comes from. Su means water in Turkish. And it is this boiling step that gives su borek its unmistakable texture — impossibly soft, silky, and tender in a way that no oven-baked pastry can replicate.
Why It Takes Real Skill to Make
Su borek is considered one of the most labor-intensive pastries in Turkish cuisine. Here is why:
First, the dough is made with an unusually high proportion of eggs — far more than standard pastry dough. This gives each sheet a uniquely elastic, silky quality that holds up to boiling without falling apart.
Then, each sheet is rolled very thin by hand and boiled individually in water. This requires skill, patience, and experience — the sheets are delicate and must be handled carefully to keep their shape.
Finally, the boiled sheets are layered by hand with generous amounts of real cheese and quality butter, then baked until just set. The result is a pastry with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth interior that is rich, deeply savory, and completely unlike anything mass-produced.
How to Enjoy Su Borek
Su borek is a ready-to-eat product — no baking required. It is best enjoyed warm, but warming it is quick and simple:
Place a slice in a pan, oven, or toaster on low heat for just 1 to 2 minutes. You are not cooking it — you are simply letting the butter melt and the cheese soften. That is all it needs.
One important note: never use a microwave. Microwaving changes the texture completely and takes away everything that makes su borek special. A pan or toaster on low heat is all you need, and it takes less than two minutes.
In Turkey, su borek is a staple of the weekend breakfast table — served warm alongside tea, olives, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and white cheese. It is the kind of food that brings a family together around a table on a slow morning.
The Hardest Part — Why Making Su Borek Is a True Craft
The most challenging part of making su borek from scratch is the dough. It must be rolled paper-thin, boiled gently in water, and transferred by hand without tearing. Even experienced cooks find this step difficult. The dough needs a high egg content to survive the boiling process, and each sheet must be handled delicately enough to stay intact while still being thin enough to create that signature silky layered texture.
This is why experienced makers take years to master it, and why a well-made su borek is genuinely impressive to find. When you taste one made properly, the difference is immediately obvious.
Where to Get It
We carry Nema Su Borek at QualitaMart in Cherry Hill, NJ — available in two sizes: 2.75 LB (15 pieces, perfect for trying it for the first time) and 5.5 LB (2.5 kg, ideal for families and gatherings).
Both are also available online at qualitamart.com with nationwide shipping across the USA. If you have been curious about Turkish pastry and want to try something truly special, su borek is the place to start.