Fatayer
| Type | Meat pie |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Levant |
| Region or state | |
| Associated cuisine | Levantine cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Meat, spinach, cheese or za'atar |
Fatayer (Standard Arabic: فطائر, romanized: faṭāʾir; Levantine Arabic: فطاير, romanized: faṭāyir; sg. فطيرة, faṭīra) are meat pies that can alternatively be stuffed with spinach or cheese such as feta or akkawi.[1] They are part of Arab and Levantine cuisine and are eaten in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt,[2] Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.[citation needed ] Fatayer are also popular in Argentina, where they are considered a variety of empanada under the name empanadas árabes (singular form empanada árabe), and in Brazil, where they are known as esfihas fechadas ("closed sfihas", singular form esfiha fechada).
Some fatayer are commonly frozen and reheated prior to eating.[3]
Regional variations
[edit ]Levant
[edit ]Different combinations of fillings and shapes are used for fatayer. Common fillings include:
- Cheese (such as feta, akkawi or halloumi) with nigella seeds [4]
- Spinach, commonly with sumac and onions; this variant is popular in the Levant and is known as fatayer sabanekh (Levantine Arabic: فطاير سبانخ).[5] Other greens are common fillings as well, like fresh Origanum syriacum ,[4] in fatayer made during the winter by Palestinians.[3] [6]
- Minced lamb meat and nuts[3]
- Eggs[4]
- Kashk and meat, popular in some Syrian cities[7] [8]
- Labneh, popular in Lebanon[2]
A variety of spices may also be used for each variant.[9] [3] [10] The shapes also vary; some are fully enclosed triangles, while other are shaped like boats with part of the filling exposed.[4] The dough is sometimes unleavened, and can be flavored with spices like mahleb.[4]
Latin America
[edit ]Empanadas àrabes, or fatay, are a variation of fatayer popular in some Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Venezuela.[11] [12]
Fatay are triangular, with a filling typically consisting of tomato, onion, and minced meat, and topped with lemon juice. They are sometimes open-faced and sometimes closed; they closely resemble sfiha.[11] [12] [13]
-
Fatayer sabanekh
-
Palestinian fatayer zaatar
-
Empanadas àrabes, open-faced like sfiha and served with lemons
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ Labensky, Steven; Ingram, Gaye G.; Labensky, Sarah R. (2001). Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts. Prentice Hall. p. 166. ISBN 9780130264305.
- ^ a b Anissa Helou (6 May 2019). "How to make Lebanese fatayer with spinach and labneh fillings". Middle East Eye . Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d Tamimi, Sami; Wigley, Tara (26 March 2020). "Snacks, Spreads and Sauces". Falastin: A Cookbook. Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4735-5775-8.
- ^ a b c d e Helou, Anissa (4 October 2018). Feast: Food of the Islamic World. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5266-0556-6 . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "Fatayer Jibneh (Cheese fatayer)". Middle East Monitor . 26 June 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Choufan, Matan; Bishara, Muzna (17 February 2022). "For Muzna Bishara, Za'atar Is the Scent of Winter". Asif. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ "سيدات يقتصدن في تحضير "الكشك".. مؤونة غير معتادة باللاذقية" [Women are frugal in preparing "kishk," an unusual staple food in Latakia.]. Enab Baladi (in Arabic). 27 August 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ ""الفطاير".. وليمة العيد الموروثة في حوران" ["Fatayer" is the traditional Eid feast in Hauran.]. Enab Baladi (in Arabic). 28 June 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ Kalla, Joudie (18 October 2018). "The Bakery". Baladi: Palestine a celebration of food from land and sea. Jacqui Small. ISBN 978-1-911127-86-4.
- ^ "Cook this: Spinach turnovers — fatayer sbenegh — from Forever Beirut". National Post. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Día Mundial de la Empanada: recetas infalibles para celebrar un clásico de la cocina" [World Empanada Day: foolproof recipes to celebrate a culinary classic]. Nuevo Diario Web (in Spanish). 8 April 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Empanadas árabes: Receta de Fatay original - Paulina Cocina" [Arabic empanadas: traditional Fatay recipe]. www.paulinacocina.net (in Spanish). 26 March 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ "El restaurante de Buenos Aires que prepara "la fatay más famosa"" [The Buenos Aires restaurant that prepares "the most famous fatay"]. www.c5n.com (in Spanish). 1 October 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
External links
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