Burekas . . . or Bourekas?
Burekas! ... or Bourekas?
by Jerry WaxmanSderot Israel
I've always called them "burekas" because that's how you say it.
Even if it's just one bureka, it's still called burekas. More than one and it's burekases - burekasim? Everyone just says "burekas."
Except in writing. It's "Bourekas." Why?
While you're looking for an answer to that question, I'll get to the bigger question - maybe the biggest question of the day. Ready?:
What do you do when you're in a town like Sderot, and you want to have fast food, but you don't have 12 shekels for a felafel?
When I first came to Sderot a couple years ago, the first thing to catch my eye was the bakery in the center of town. When you walk in, your eyes and nose are treated to all sorts of sensations you don't usually find outside of Israel. It has different kinds of bread and pastries in various sizes and shapes. And over on the side walls there are bourekas . . . | ||
[Side note: A bourekas is flaky pastry stuffed with different fillings; you have potato bourekas, mushroom bourekas, spinach bourekas, pizza bourekas, and a lot more.] The sell bourekas by the kilo. You just choose the kind you want and you put as many as you want into a paper bag. The first time I saw this, I went wild -- potato burekas, mushroom bourekas, pizza bourekas, tuna bourekas - I had to try at least one of each. My stomach did not thank me for that. |
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Well, that bakery isn't the only place to get bourekas. There are about a dozen bakeries in town. Many of them have bourekas. On a forlorn day with no food at home and only small change in my pocket, I'd stop in at the bakery down the road, pick up 3 or 4 bourekas, and head over to the park across the street for a picnic. Last night was one of those forlorn nights. Malka is still adjusting to living in Israel, and I'm still trying to find work so we can stay here - or somewhere. [Side note: Hey, if you happen to know someone who is hiring - or needing a teacher - I can be reached at My Contact Page]Needless to say, there's been some tension. Malka is not used to the surroundings and I'm getting no great feedback from any prospective employer.
We got our pocket change together and walked over to the supermarket. A quick glance at the bakery counter - lots and lots of burekas. Cheaper than pizza. And here's the deal; At night time the supermarket bourekas go down to about half price.. Amazing how far 4 shekels will get you.
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Last night, we were there. I mean that's where we were - the number one question of the day.. No food in the house, not enough money for a felafel, and in a small town like Sderot Israel. What did we do?: Well, we didn't sit around dreaming of an Israeli breakfast like the one on the right.
