Turkish Pide

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Published 10.05.2023

Turkish Pide is a Turkish food with a cultural importance and delicious taste. It is made in all regions of Turkey with very little differences. It has countless variations.

As most people already know, Turkish cuisine is a very rich one with various dishes of various regions. While coastal areas such as Aegean Region mostly prefer vegetables cooked with olive oil, people from Southeastern region of Anatolia mostly eat dishes with meat and cooked with animal fats. In addition to these wonderful tastes, there is a salty pastry that has a place in all regions’ cuisines. It is called Pide and it can be identified as a salty dough with any kind of topping. Pide generally has a long and narrow shape. The base is the dough and sometimes it has very small edges while sometimes the edges are wider. In some versions it even covers the toppings. Traditionally a brick or stone oven is used to cook Pide in restaurants but at homes, people use conventional, home-style ovens.

Various Flavors of Pide

The history of Pide in unknown but it has a traditional and cultural meaning in all regions. Here are some interesting facts and tips on Turkish Pide.

1. When we say Pide, we generally mean the one with a meat topping and the dough with a lot of butter. However, today it is served with countless variations of toppings in different regions. Some regions would like to keep it the traditional way and have Pide with meat. Others may prefer servings with cheese, vegetables such as mushrooms and spinach, and herbs such as parsley.

2. The cultural tradition about Pide is that it is the main food that brings people together. It is served in various social activities such as family or friends’ gatherings, funerals, some celebrations, etc.

3. Pide is difficult to make at home. When people want to spice up their dinners with Pide, they buy the toppings and make a mixture from them as they wish. This mixture is brought to the Pide restaurant and Pides are ordered. Traditional Pides with different tastes are served with a cheaper price.

4. There are big restaurants in all cities of Turkey, which serve only Pide. Additionally, nearly all Kebab restaurants serve Pide together with different kinds of kebab. Pide also can be found in small pastries and also in street charts.

5. In Turkey, Pide is widely consumed in all regions of the country. Any place you visit in Turkey, there is a cheap place that serves this delicious food. Therefore, it should be the first preference of people who are visiting Turkey on a budget