The northeast corner of Turkey, known as Trakya, forms a land bridge between Europe and Asia, and this geographically strategic position is reflected in its rich cultural heritage, whether in foodways, folklore, folk dances or music. Throughout history people have migrated both eastwards and westwards through this region, carrying their own cultures to new lands, and the Trakya cuisine is a delectable example of the resulting acculturation, as illustrated by the wide range of delicious soups, vegetable dishes, meat dishes, sweet dishes and pastries. In modern times two major waves of migration have affected the cultural and social structure of Trakya today. The first of these was the arrival of Pomaks and Gacals from the Balkans following the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-78, and the second the arrival of Gacals, Pomaks and Romanian Muslims from Thessalonica and other parts of Greece in 1923 and 1924 following the signing of the Lausanne Treaty.

In addition the 1930s saw migrants arrive from Bulgaria to settle in Trakya, making their own contribution to the cultural mosaic created by the numerous ethnic groups in the region. Although the rapid pace of modern life has affected the traditional cuisine to a certain extent, some dishes being dropped from the culinary repertoire of a younger generation that has less time to spend in the kitchen, many old favourites are still as popular as ever. Typical regional dishes include fried liver, liver stew, liver rissoles, leek soup, potato soup, poached eggs with yoghurt, broad bean pure, green bean stew, peppers with Lor cheese, keþkek (a porridge of boiled wheat, lamb and cinnamon), and a range of helvas, sweet pastries, and pelte (pudding of fruit juice thickened with starch). Trakya cuisine tends to be light, features an abundance of vegetable dishes, and uses easy-to-find ingredients and simple cooking techniques.

TATAR BÖREGI (ÇIG BÖREK)
For the pastry: 1/2 kg flour 1 small cube of fresh yeast 1 tsp salt For the filling: 1/2 kg minced meat 3 onions 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp flaked red pepper 1 cup chopped parsley
Method: Mix the minced meat, chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper together. Make a soft dough with the flour, yeast, salt and sufficient water. Divide the dough into pieces the size of tangerines. Roll these out into circles the size of tea plates and spread some of the minced meat mixture onto one half, leaving a margin around the edge. Fold over and press down the edges well. Cook in a hot nonstick pan or on a griddle. Spread butter on both sides and serve hot