Moroccan Arabic: ورقة
Warqa (also warka or ouarka) is a paper-thin Moroccan pastry similar to phyllo dough. Freshly made, it's a tender and flexible pastry sheet. Once baked or fried, it turns delightfully crispy. The pastry takes its name from the literal meaning of the word warqa – a leaf from a plant or tree, or a sheet of paper – in reference to its thinness.
Making warqa in the traditional manner requires significant skill. Wet dough is quickly and repeatedly dabbed onto a hot flat pan until the pan is covered by a thin layer of dough. Cooked one-by-one and only on one-side, the sheets of warqa are carefully lifted from the pan before being oiled and stacked.
Most Moroccans can conveniently purchase fresh warqa at a local market. Outside of Morocco, spring roll wrappers, phyllo dough or frozen brick pastry can be used as substitutes. If using spring roll wrappers, be sure you're buying frozen flour-based wrappers and not dried rice paper wrappers.
Make Your Own Warqa
Try cookbook author Paula Wolfert's easy technique for making warqa. Her Homemade Warqa Recipe shows how to brush the batter onto a non-stick pan – surprisingly easy in comparison to the traditional dabbing method.
Moroccan Recipes with Warqa
