A Traditional Vegetarian Meal: Bozdoğan Pide

"Pide" has two separate meanings in Turkish. The first meaning refers to a kind of bread, like a pita. The other meaning is a kind of food. There are many types of pide as a food. In this post, you will meet the Bozdoğan Pide, which is unique to the Coastal Aegean...

Bozdoğan Pidesi

Turkish people like to consume pide as bread, especially during Ramadan. Therefore, if you visit Turkey during Ramadan, you can easily find this type of bread in grocery stores and bakeries. The type of bread, which is slightly different from the pide sold in Ramadan, is used in kebabs. For example, when you order Iskender kebab or Adana kebab, the bread on the side or under the kebab is a kind of pide.

Another meaning of pide is a meal in itself. There are varieties such as minced meat, cheddar, cubed meat and vegetables. If you see a sign like "Pide and Lahmacun Salonu" in a restaurant while walking down the street, you can be sure that there are at least 4-5 different types of pita being sold there.

Pides vary according to the region. The materials used and cooking methods are the main reason for this change. You will be able to find every traditional and local taste here; but now let's take a look at Bozdoğan Pide...

Coastal Aegean can be considered as the center of vegetarian food in Turkey. Bozdoğan is also a district of Aydın province, like Kuşadası and Didim, in the Coastal Aegean. This pide is also named after this district. Bozdoğan Pide can be found both in Bozdoğan district and in many other points of Aydın. You can also come across it in İzmir and Muğla.

The mixture on the pita consists of tulum cheese, parsley and eggs. While serving the pide, kaymak (not cream) is added on top and it melts completely in a short time. This pide, which is quite hearty and tasty, will attract the attention of local taste enthusiasts as well as vegetarian food lovers.

If you happen to be in Aydın or its surroundings, I suggest you try this beautiful meal of Turkish cuisine.