Zelnik is a Macedonian dish similar to Greek spanakopita and Bulgarian banitsa. It is a leavened dough with a filling of spinach, cheese, and egg, often with leeks or potatoes, and can be made with various fillings. It is traditionally served on Christmas Eve and can be eaten hot or cold. Zelnik can be made in individual portions or large sheets of filo pastry. It is sometimes prepared in a sweet version with pumpkin or apples and honey. Fortune tokens or charms are sometimes baked into the pastry for special occasions. Other variations include fillings with rice, beef or pork, onions, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, nuts, and cinnamon.
Zelnik is a traditional Macedonian dish, somewhat similar to the Greek spanakopita and very similar to the Bulgarian banitsa. Popular in winter and traditionally served on Christmas Eve, zelnik is a leavened dough with a filling of spinach, cheese and egg – often with leeks or potatoes and sometimes containing cabbage or sauerkraut. It can be formed and baked in individual portions, such as Cornish pies or other quiches, but is most often made with the filling rolled inside large sheets of filo pastry and the rolls arranged in a spiral and cooked in a pan in the oven. It is eaten hot or cold.
The filling can vary considerably, depending on the cook and the tradition. The main difference between the zelnik and the banitsa is the dough: the yarn used for the banitsa is plain, and the dough for the zelnik is traditionally handmade with yeast added for more body and flakiness. Zelnik also has a more substantial filling than banitsa.
During leaner years, zelnik was often made with whatever leafy greens or vegetables were available, including nettles, dandelion leaves, and beets. When made in individual portions, it’s a portable meal, like Russian pierogis or German bierocks. In the regional cuisine of the Balkans, zelnik is traditionally a savory dish but it can also be prepared in a sweet version, with pumpkin or apples and honey.
The origin of the name zelnik is unclear; some say it comes from the Macedonian or Bulgarian word for cabbage, and others say it’s a variation of the word for green or green. Zelka in Bulgarian is cabbage and zelen in Bulgarian is green, so both statements are valid. Bougatsa is another similar dish; it is a Greek pastry but is often made with custard and is generally considered a breakfast dish. Tiropita is a similar Greek layered pastry; it is usually cooked with a mixture of cheese and egg.
When zelnik is served for special occasions, such as Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, sometimes fortune tokens or charms are baked into the pastry for a lucky person to find. This is often a coin wrapped in gold paper, or perhaps a dogwood twig with a bud on it to symbolize health, longevity, or prosperity. Sometimes the surprise is just a happy wish written on paper, wrapped in foil and hidden in the pastry spiral.
In some parts of Bulgaria, a similar dish with a rice filling is popular. Other variations include fillings with seared beef or pork, onions or other vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms. Sweet fillings are more popular in some regions. In some areas, a nut and cinnamon filling is common. A variant with apples is called shtrudel, and a pumpkin version called tikvenik is also regionally popular.
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