{{Short description|Sephardic Jewish pastry}} {{Infobox food | name = Bulemas | image = | image_size = 250px | caption = | alternate_name = | creator = Sephardic Jews | course = | type = Pastry, Börek<ref name="AkSu2018"/> | served = | main_ingredient = Flour, vegetable oil, filling (spinach, feta cheese, kashkaval) | variations = | calories = | other = | associated_cuisine = Sephardic Jewish cuisine | place_of_origin = Ottoman Empire }}
'''Bulemas''' or '''boulemas''', also '''rodanches''' or '''burmaikos''', are a traditional baked pastry in Sephardic Jewish cuisine. They are made from a thinly stretched yeast dough, filled with a savory mixture, and then rolled into a spiral shape.<ref name="AkSu2018">{{Cite journal |last=AkyüRek |first=Suat |date=2018-01-01 |title=Investigation of Similarities and Differences of Turkish and Spanish Cuisine Cultures |url=http://www.turkishstudies.net/DergiTamDetay.aspx?ID=12900 |journal=Journal of Turkish Studies |language=en |volume=13|issue=3 |pages=51 |doi=10.7827/TurkishStudies.12900 |issn=1308-2140|doi-access=free }}</ref> Once baked, the pastry has a delicate and flaky texture akin to that of phyllo-based pastries, like the Turkish Kol böreği and the Greek spanakopita.
Common fillings for the dish include a spinach and cheese mix, as well as an eggplant and cheese variant.
Bulemas are often served as part of the Shabbat breakfast (''dezayuno'') in Sephardic Jewish communities alongside bourekas and other filled pastries, and accompanied by ''haminados'' (braised eggs), cheeses, vegetables, and ''raki''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leaman |first=Oliver |title=Routledge Handbook on Jewish Ritual and Practice |date=2023 |publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group |isbn=978-0-367-47012-8 |series=Routledge Handbooks |location=Abingdon, New York (N.Y.) |pages=477}}</ref>
== Names == Widely known as ''bulemas'', this dish is called ''rodanches'' or ''rodanchas'' in Salonica and Rhodes, while among Jerusalemites, it was known as burmaikos.
In the Sephardic community of Jerusalem, ''burmaikos de pazi'' refers to the spinach version, while ''burmaikos de brengena'' refers to the eggplant variant. ''Burmaikos de queso'' features a mix of salted cheese, potato, and egg, while ''burmaikos de carna'' features ''gumu'', a mix of minced meat, onion, and pine nuts.<ref>רשליקה - Rashelika - ניחוח המטבח הירושלמי ספרדי המסורתי. 1999. p. 162</ref>
== Preparation == Bulemas' dough is often created from basic ingredients including flour, water, vegetable oil, and a dash of salt. The dough is kneaded and then shaped into small balls, which are then coated with oil. Later, the dough balls are thinly kneaded, creating a thin sheet. To form the pastry, a small amount of the filling is placed along one edge of the sheet, which is then rolled over the filling, creating a tight cylinder. Then, one end of the cylinder is grabbed and then coiled around the center, forming the center of the spiral shape. Once the bulemas are formed, they are baked in the oven until golden brown.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil |title=The World of Jewish Cooking |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1999 |isbn=9780684835594 |pages=31}}</ref>
Bulemas can be filled with a variety of savory ingredients. Common fillings include cheese, spinach, or eggplants, but other variations with different ingredients may also be found. In several communities, a unique variation of bulemas (''rodanches de kalavasa''), which features a special pumpkin or butternut filling, holds a traditional place on the table during Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot celebrations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goldstein |first=Joyce |title=Sephardic Flavors: Jewish Cooking of the Mediterranean |publisher=Chronicle Books |year=2000 |isbn=978-0811826624 |location=San Francisco, California |pages=63}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Food }}
* Bourekas * Boyoz * Kol böreği * Spanakopita
== Citations == {{Reflist}}
{{Jewish baked goods}} {{Pastries}}
Category:Jewish baked goods Category:Jewish cuisine Category:Sephardi Jewish cuisine Category:Shabbat food