Pide: Turkish Pizza


Pide is also known worldwide as Turkish pizza. It is a type of flatbread shaped like a boat, filled with various delicious fillings, such as meat, vegetables, and cheese. Before serving, the pide is cut into thin slices, which are easier to eat.

Pide
Pide

The dough is made from a mixture of flour, yeast, water, and salt and is usually hand-kneaded and shaped into a long, thin shape. Various fillings are applied to the dough before baking in a stone oven, with virtually unlimited possibilities. Popular fillings include meat, such as ground beef, chicken, or lamb, as well as vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Cheese is also a popular filling. There is also a round pide called cantık and pide filled with sweet fillings.

✓ Tip: Book your tickets for attractions and excursions in Istanbul in advance, save time & avoid queues.

Preparing pide
Preparing pide

The best place to taste pide is in specialized restaurants. One such place is the small establishment Pak Pide Pizza Salonu, located a few hundred meters from Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. The place where you can eat your pide at a table is right next to the large oven and simple kitchen where the specialty is prepared. The gentlemen who make the Turkish pizza here are helpful and kind. The pide here cost 32 lira, which is about 1.80 EUR, and it was the best I have ever eaten. Absolutely fresh, made from quality ingredients, pulled straight from the oven in front of you. A delicacy that keeps me coming back to this place.

Bon appetit!

Difference between pide and lahmacun

The elongated pide is very similar to another round-shaped dish called lahmacun. However, there are significant differences between them. The dough for pide is thicker and more similar to pizza, and larger pieces of meat or cheese can be used as fillings. The dough for lahmacun is very thin, and cheese will never be among the fillings. Similarly, the filling for lahmacun is very fine with a higher content of vegetables, more like a paste.

More information can be obtained by clicking on the map link: