Milas Tepsi Böreği

Milas tray börek is a traditional börek from the Milas region. It is prepared by layering thin sheets of phyllo dough, brushed with olive oil, in a tray and baking them in an oven. The filling consists of a mixture of various herbs grown naturally or specifically cultivated in the region, combined with çökelek cheese produced in the same area and olive oil derived from Memecik olives grown within the boundaries of Milas district, with a free fatty acid content below 1%.

Product Profile and Geographical Indication Type

Milas tray börek is classified under the product group of bakery and confectionery items, specifically within the category of börek. It has been officially registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as "direction sign^【1】". The registration of Milas tray börek documents how the unique characteristics of the product arise from the combination of region-specific ingredients—herbs, çökelek cheese, and olive oil from Memecik olives—and the distinctive method of their assembly.

Milas tray börek. (Turkish Patent and Trademark Office)

Product Definition and Distinctive Characteristics

The distinctive character of Milas tray börek derives from the regional herbs, çökelek cheese, and olive oil used in its preparation. The çökelek cheese has a unique aroma due to the herbs consumed by cattle raised in Milas. Similarly, the herbs and vegetables in the filling, as well as the forage fed to the cows producing the milk for the cheese, impart original flavors and aromas rooted in the region’s soil, water, and climate. The herbs used in Milas tray börek can be found mixed together in Milas Market under the name “böreklik ot.”

Types of Herbs Used:

• Cultivated in Gardens: Parsley, chervil, spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, fresh onion greens, leek greens, lettuce leaves.
• Wild-Grown: Cilantro (kişkincik), young leaves of the wild carnation (kapçık), nettle leaves (dalgan), bird’s heart (kuş yüreği), wild leek leaves (köremen), labada, and garden cress (kerdime).

Preparation Method

The preparation of Milas tray börek involves the following steps:

Ingredients:

• For the Filling:
• • Herbs listed above, cultivated in gardens and found in the wild
  • Olive oil derived from Memecik olives grown within the boundaries of Milas district (free fatty acid content below 1%)
  • Çökelek cheese produced in the Milas region
• For the Dough:
• • Two eggs
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Water
• For the Top Coating:
• • One egg
  • Olive oil derived from Memecik olives grown within the boundaries of Milas district (free fatty acid content below 1%)

Recipe:

• The herbs are washed and chopped.
• The chopped herbs are mixed with çökelek cheese and olive oil to prepare the filling.
• The dough is kneaded using eggs, flour, salt, and water.
• Sheets of phyllo dough are rolled out from the prepared dough.
• A layer of phyllo is placed on an oiled tray, followed by a layer of filling. This layering process is repeated until all the phyllo and filling are used, ending with a final layer of phyllo on top.
• The surface is brushed with a mixture of beaten egg and olive oil, then baked in an oven.
• The baked börek can be served plain or with strained yogurt. It may be sold directly from the baking tray or, after cooling, packaged in food-grade containers for distribution.

Registration Process and Details

The application for the geographical indication registration of Milas tray börek was submitted by the Milas Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The application, numbered C2017/231, was filed on 19 December 2017. Following the evaluation process, the product was officially registered on 23 November 2018 under registration number 395 as a “protected designation of origin.”