Hatay Kaytaz Böreği

Hatay Kaytaz Böreği is a traditional meat-filled pastry produced in Hatay province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. It is baked in a stone oven after being filled with a mixture of minced meat, kneaded onion, tomato paste, Hatay pomegranate syrup, Samandağ chili red pepper flakes, black pepper, butter, and vegetable oil, all contained in a hand-rolled oval dough shaped into either a round or square form. The European Commission entered it in the register of protected geographical indications on 5 November 2025, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2236, published in Official Journal L series 2025/2236. The Single Document was published in OJ C/2025/3672 on 7 July 2025 following no opposition. The EU file number is PGI-TR-02900, with a national application date of 30 January 2023. The application was submitted by the Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Iskenderun Ticaret ve Sanayi Odasi), established in 1920, with 7,312 members. The Turkish domestic GI registration was published in Official Gazette No 122 of 1 April 2022.

What makes it distinct

The characteristic texture of Hatay Kaytaz Böregi is soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The dough is oily because plenty of oil is used during shaping. The filling and the upper layer of dough beneath it take on an attractive red colour from the tomato paste, Samandag chili pepper, and Hatay pomegranate syrup combination. The taste is oily, spicy, and slightly sweet-sour.

Two ingredients are themselves GI-registered Turkish products sourced from within Hatay:

Hatay Pomegranate Syrup — registered by TURKPATENT on 24 May 2023 (registration number 1361). Produced from the seeds of locally grown Hicaz and Katirbasi pomegranates (Punica granatum L.), pressed, filtered, and thickened by boiling without sweeteners or additives. Its tangy-sweet taste enriches the filling and balances the savory elements.

Samandag Pepper — registered by TURKPATENT on 13 September 2021 (registration number 887). Cultivated in Hatay's Samandag district. Known for its elongated pointed shape and robust heat, harvested both green in early maturity and red when fully ripe. Adds a distinctive, fleeting spiciness to the pastry.

All key filling ingredients — olive oil, Hatay pomegranate syrup, onion, tomato paste, Samandag red pepper, black pepper, minced meat, and butter — must be sourced from Hatay province and its districts (Antakya, Altinozü, Kumlu, Belen, Iskenderun, Arsuz, Kirikhan, Payas, Dörtyol, Hassa, Erzin, Samandag, Yayladag, Defne, and Reyhanli).

Product specifications

The following values are taken directly from the Single Document (OJ C/2025/3672) and product specification (Ref. Ares(2025)4804588):

Dough (per batch):

• Wheat flour: 500 g

• Dough yeast: 5-10 g

• Water: 400 mL

• White sugar: 10 g

• Salt: 10 g

Filling (per batch):

• Lean minced meat: 400 g

• Onion: 2 medium (bitter juice removed by kneading)

• Tomato paste: 10 g

• Butter: 100 g

• Vegetable oil: 100 mL (reduced or omitted with fatty minced meat)

• Pomegranate syrup: 10 mL

• Spices: Samandag red pepper flakes and black pepper to preference

Portion sizes:

• Dough portion per pastry: 45-50 g

• Filling per pastry: 25-30 g

• Round shape: average weight 60.00 +/-5.33 g; diameter 9.58 +/-0.80 cm; height 1.44 +/-0.23 cm

• Square shape: average weight 62.12 +/-3.60 g; width 8.20 +/-0.33 cm; length 8.46 +/-0.28 cm; height 1.33 +/-0.23 cm

Storage: Room temperature 1 day; refrigerator 3 days; freezer up to 6 months.

Production zone

The production region of Hatay Kaytaz Böregi covers Hatay province and all its districts: Antakya, Altinözü, Kumlu, Belen, Iskenderun, Arsuz, Kirikhan, Payas, Dörtyol, Hassa, Erzin, Samandag, Yayladag, Defne, and Reyhanli. All processes — preparation of the dough, preparation of the filling, rolling out the dough, shaping the pastry, and cooking — must be carried out within this geographical area.

Hatay is at the southernmost point of Turkey, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Syria to the south and east, Adana to the northwest, Osmaniye to the north, and Gaziantep to the northeast.

Production method

Dough preparation: Yeast and white sugar are dissolved in warm water. Wheat flour and salt are added gradually until a soft, homogeneous dough forms. The dough is kneaded until smooth, then rested at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes for fermentation. The texture must be soft but not sticky.

Filling preparation: Two medium-sized onions are finely chopped and kneaded to remove their bitter juice, then combined with lean minced meat, tomato paste, Hatay pomegranate syrup, vegetable oil, and Samandag red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Assembly: The rested dough is divided into portions of 45-50 g each. A mixture of 50 mL vegetable oil and 100 g melted butter is spread on the work surface. Each dough portion is rolled by hand into a thin oval approximately 30-35 cm long and 10-15 cm wide, with hands frequently dipped into the oil mixture to allow stretching without sticking. The dough is then rolled into a strip lengthwise, then wrapped around itself spirally from inside to outside to create a coiled round shape, which can optionally be flattened into a square. The centre is pressed flat by hand and approximately 25 g of filling is placed on top. Pastries are placed on greased or greaseproof paper trays, edges greased with the oil mixture, and baked in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until the surface turns golden brown.

Historical background

Historical evidence traces Hatay Kaytaz Böregi to the 1600s, with recipe and production techniques passed down through generations via apprenticeship relationships, as documented in Antakya Mutfagi (Antakya Rotary Club, 1990). In his 1971 work Hatay Turizm Rehberi, Kemal Karaömeroğlu identifies Hatay Kaytaz Böregi as a pastry emblematic of Hatay.

The pastry is traditionally prepared during Ramadan as a staple on iftar tables. It is also traditionally made on 14 January, the Rumi New Year celebrated in Hatay according to Arab Alawite belief, when it is prepared in large trays and sent to communal ovens, served at both breakfast and dinner. It is served at pilgrim farewell and return dinners alongside oruk, kebab, and künefe, and is recognised as one of the most commonly consumed foods in the Hatay bath tradition.

Hatay Kaytaz Böregi appears in the menus of restaurants with tourism management certificates, where it ranks fourth among preferred local pastries. In the 70th episode of the television series Avrupa Yakasi, the pastry was featured as a symbol of Hatay food culture and social life.

Control and certification

The competent control authority, as listed in the EU Register Extract (field 5), is the Hatay Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Aksaray Mah., Mehmet Kafadar Cad., Antakya/Hatay). Compliance is verified against the product specification, production method, labelling conditions, and proof of geographical origin.

Required labelling includes: company trade name and address; lot number; the name 'Hatay Kaytaz Böregi'; net weight; and the official Hatay Kaytaz Böregi logo.