You can find this pastry in the frozen food section in the supermarkets or in specialized Turkish, Greek or other stores from the above mentioned regions.
But what is a filo pastry anyway?
It is a type of unleavened dough shaped in very thin sheets, most commonly rectangular, but sometimes round as well. Known as filo, phyllo or yufka, they are sold rolled-up and can be fresh or frozen. It is always best to buy fresh ones, if possible, as frozen ones must be completely defrosted before further use and it can take some of your precious time. :) This is how rolled filo looks like before you "open" it...
Filo is usually sold in 500 g package which contains 13-25 filo leaves depending on their thickness. That's a big difference in quantity and in quality as well, as thinner leaves make more delicious pies. So, remember: the more leaves - the better quality. Anything above 20 pieces is good. Excellent, actually. :)
I put a tablespoon next to the filo sheets so you can compare their size. |
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In the photo below you can see how translucent sheets actually are. Just note the spoon below. There was an interesting scene in a Turkish movie (I really don't remember the title) where two filo pastry crafters were having a competition: who is going to make thinner filo sheets. After a tight struggle, one could read a newspaper through the winner's sheets! It sounds crazy and funny, but it's not far from the truth! :)
Filo pastry is traditionally made from white wheat flour, but lately many other types of filo can be found as well: buckwheat, whole-wheat and cornmeal are the most common.
So, my dear friends and visitors, do some research and find some of this amazing pastries in the stores nearby and be prepared for many delicious travels...