zelnik

plural zelniks

1. countableuncountableA traditional pastry eaten in Bulgaria and North Macedonia, composed of layers of thinly-rolled leavened wheat flour dough, or possibly phyllo pastry, filled with various combinations of sirene (a white cheese), feta cheese, eggs, sorrel, browned meat, leeks, spring onions and/or rice.

   An accomplished performer on the gaida, the proprietor would close his store in order to ‘play for the girls’ as they drank coffee and ate zelnik.

   1995, Lillian Petroff, “Community Life”, in Sojourners and Settlers: The Macedonian Community in Toronto to 1940 (Ethnic and Immigration History Series), Toronto, Ont.: Multicultural History Society of Ontario; University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, pages 118–119

   3 more examples

   A zelnik, a stuffed, layered pastry, is one of the family’s favorite dishes. […] You will need a round zelnik pan — about 16 inches in diameter, about 2 inches deep and available from the Greek store in City Market — to make this Macedonian specialty.

   1983 April 27, “She Shares Heritage”, in The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Ind., page 38, column 3

   Easter is a very important holiday for Eastern Christians (Pravoslavi) and is lavishly celebrated with roast lamb, Easter eggs, zelnik, sweets, breads, and much more. […] Depending on the size of the family, a variety of zelniks may be prepared and stuffed with onions, leeks or cheese (bourek). […] To celebrate the Easter holiday, Ristana recalls that each Partisan was issued a small piece of zelnik and half an egg, which was all they could afford.

   2003, Chris Stefou, Oshchima: The Story of a Small Village in Western Macedonia, Toronto, Ont.: Risto Stefov Publications, pages 118, 128, and 280

   Households Rocco Monte Piano, Nono and Trieste made tomato sauce, and Household Abruzzo also made salami and preserves; household Bitola made pickles and preserves, ‘ajvar’ a special paprika relish, and because Kiril was a patisserie chef, various zelniks, and sweet delicacies such as baklava and tolumbi were prepared in the summer kitchen.

   2014, Mirjana Lozanovksa, “House behaviour in the Australian suburb: consumption, migrants and their houses”, in Daniel Maudlin, Marcel Vellinga, editors, Consuming Architecture: On the Occupation, Appropriation and Interpretation of Buildings, Abingdon, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, part 1 (Occupations), page 53