From Boats to Circles: Top 5 Pides to Try in Türkiye

Pide types from different cities of Türkiye come in different shapes and sizes - they are usually named after their ingredients (fillings).

Such as kıymalı pide (minced meat pide), peynirli pide (cheese pide), and pastırmalı pide (pide with Turkish cured beef).

There are two main pide shapes: long and round. The main differences are the shape of the dough and the number of toppings used.

While long pides are more common, round pides with plenty of locally grown ingredients are also popular, especially in the Black Sea region.

A popular long pide with minced meat, kıymalı pide is a versatile dish that is perfect for any time of the day!

It is often considered a cultural dish, associated with the Turkish way of life, as kıymalı pide is served on special occasions such as weddings and festivals.

Peynirli pide is a popular variation of the traditional Turkish pide.


It features a refreshing filling made from beyaz peynir (feta cheese) and herbs.

This delicious dish is often served as a main course or as an appetizer and is a vegetarian-friendly pide variety.

Another type of round pide is lahmacun, which has a fragrant flavour with a very thin crust, 1mm to be exact and spicy meat filling.

The ingredients, peppers, tomatoes, onions and spices, are finely chopped using the satır arası technique and mixed with meat to make lahmacun.

However, unlike the regular pide, the ingredients are cut much finer to create a lighter consistency to prevent the thin dough from tearing. 

Fresh out of the oven lahmacun is served with a generous portion of fresh greens and lemon slices.