New York Pita Culture
Greece has a “pita culture” and the round or oval flatbread that most non-Greeks instantly think of when hearing “pita” is just a small part of it. Greek pita can refer to one of two dough products. One is the flatbread used for scooping up an assortment of appetizing dips and for wrapping many Mediterranean sandwiches like gyros, souvlaki and falafel. Perhaps more importantly to Greeks, pita also refers to a phyllo-based pie. Pites, the savory or sweet phyllo pies that most Greeks think of when they hear pita, or mean when referencing them, come in many varieties.
My intention in starting the pita challenge was not only to nail down my mother’s go-to recipes of spanakopita (spinach pie) and tiropita (cheese pie), but also to discover other varieties of Greek pites less familiar to me. This came to me after my mother’s reminder that there is an almost endless assortment of phyllo based pies made in Greece.
In her latest compilation of Greek recipes, famed Greek chef and cookbook author Vefa Alexiadou writes, “Pies form the very backbone of Greek culinary tradition, and there is virtually no town or village in the country that doesn’t have its own special version.” So it should have been no surprise that New York, or more specifically Astoria in Queens, would be the place to find an assortment of pites at the ready. The selection in Astoria did not disappoint. With so many options to select from, there were plenty to sample on site and to take away and savor later. Here is a small sampling of New York’s pita culture.
The pita options at Artopolis Bakery were an intriguing and promising start to the New York pita challenge.
Potato pita: Thin, phyllo dough wrapped underneath and around the sides of what appeared to be a thick potato and herb filling. Almost like a hot dog or hoagie, a swath of potato filling was left exposed at the top. This hearty looking pie was lighter in consistency than it appeared. The crispy, yet delicate phyllo paired surprisingly well with the light potato and herb filling.
Halloumi pita: Halloumi cheese, leeks and herbs in a thick hearty dough, this was more reminiscent of a sandwich roll than a pita. Though delicious at room temperature when eaten at Artopolis, we could only imagine how much it would have benefitted from a quick warm up.
Spanakopita: We picked up an individual spanakopita to go. This was sampled the following day after warming up a bit in the oven. The phyllo dough was clearly handmade, while still light and flaky, it was thicker than the potato pita phyllo. The spinach filling was delicious and not heavy with cheese.
The pita options at Mediterranean Foods were downright exciting.
Tahinopita (tahini pie): This came in small and large versions. A small one taken to go was heated up slightly and crushed the following day. This pita had tahini, cinnamon and sugar intertwined with homemade phyllo dough on the thicker and less flaky side. The first bite offered a sweet crunch from the sugar on top, a hint of sesame from tahini in the background and a faint cinnamon whisper. The tahini, sugar and cinnamon paste on top of the pita, wrapped its way very lightly into the center of the pita. Since tahini has a tendency to become overwhelming in large quantities, it was definitely an advantage that this was more phyllo than tahini based. A prize find, this was my favorite.
Kolokithopita (pumpkin pita): This pita contained small cubes of pumpkin, white raisins and what looked like bulgur. The delicious filling had just a hint of sweetness from the raisins and warm spice, possibly cinnamon and clove. This was a thick hand-rolled pita that reminded me of an empanada. This may have been my second favorite pita.
Sausage pita: Sometimes things get lost in translation. Or maybe it was just my excitement getting the best of me. When the woman behind the counter answered my question, “what kind are these?” with “sausage,” no further description was necessary. Sold. “I’ll take two please.” The expectation was for a ground sausage filling. Instead, the first bite revealed a cocktail sausage. Think pig in a blanket, only way better. These pites were an elevated version, with the cocktail sausage completely enveloped in buttery, delicious homemade phyllo.
