What are Epirus pies?

[acamp7]

I was chatting with a friend recently about Greek food, and she mentioned “Epirus pies.” I’m of Greek descent and pretty familiar with traditional dishes, but I honestly had never heard of them! She made it sound like there’s a whole category of pies unique to the Epirus region—both savory and sweet—but I didn’t get a lot of details.

Is this really a regional thing? Are they different from the spanakopita and tiropita I grew up with? I’m curious about what makes them special—different fillings, crusts, or preparation?

If anyone here is from Epirus or has experience with these pies, I’d love to hear more. Are there any classic ones I should try making? Would also be great to know if they’re found in bakeries elsewhere in Greece, or mostly made at home.

Thanks in advance—always excited to learn more about the regional food traditions I didn’t grow up with!

 

[k_tsoukalas]

Yes, Epirus is famous for its pies (known as “pites”), and they really are a whole culinary tradition of their own! While you might be familiar with spanakopita and tiropita, Epirus pies go far beyond those. They're often made with homemade phyllo that's thinner and more rustic than store-bought, and the fillings can be quite creative.

One signature pie is kreatopita (meat pie), but there’s also blatsaria, a unique open-faced pie made with cornmeal, wild greens, and feta. Another is kasiopita or alevropita, a super simple cheese pie made with a thin batter poured over crumbled feta, almost like a savory pancake in pie form. Many of these are made without layering—just one top and bottom or even no phyllo at all.

While you might find them in bakeries, they’re especially tied to home cooking in Epirus