Pide

Anatolia, Turkey — ancient flatbread tradition predating Ottoman era; regional variants documented across all Turkish provinces

The boat-shaped flatbread of Turkey, pide (PEE-deh) is made from a yeasted dough stretched into an elongated oval, filled with various toppings — kaşarlı (melted cheese), kıymalı (spiced minced meat), pastırmalı yumurtalı (cured beef with egg) — then baked in a wood-fired or stone-deck oven until the crust puffs and chars slightly and the egg (when included) is just-set. The dough is richer and softer than lahmacun, with enough structural integrity to hold fillings without a tray. The pinched, upturned edges are folded to contain the filling during baking. Regional styles vary significantly: Trabzon pide from the Black Sea uses a different shape; karadeniz pide with butter is a distinct tradition. The egg version is cooked only until the white sets and the yolk remains molten.

Served as a main meal with a simple tomato-cucumber salad and ayran; the egg version is a breakfast staple; meat pide is lunch or dinner; the crust is used to mop the molten cheese or egg — do not leave it