This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
Karacasu Pide is a traditional bakery product produced in the Karacasu district of Aydın Province in Türkiye. This product was officially registered with a geographical indication on 17 September 2020, having acquired its geographical identity through the continuity of its production technique and local craftsmanship.
Karacasu Pide is a type of pide made with hand-stretched dough and baked in a wood-fired black oven. It comes in six distinct varieties:
Each variety is distinguished by its local ingredient selection and cooking technique.
The pide dough is prepared using specialty wheat flour, fresh yeast, drinking water and salt. The dough is kneaded until it reaches a consistency that does not tear when stretched, then left to rest. The pidés are baked in black ovens measuring 2x2 metres, with floors lined with salt- and glass-shard-covered firebricks, and heated with pelit, oak or palamut wood. The baking process ensures the pide’s crisp texture and its ability to dissolve easily in the mouth.
The dough is divided into 150-gram portions and rested on a wooden work surface known as a “pasa.” The fillings are prepared using meat from calves aged two to three years, raised on natural pastures in the region. For chicken breast pide, sirloin or fillet is used; for minced meat pide, rib meat is preferred. Full-fat Kashar and white cheese are chosen for cheese-filled pidés. Tahini pide is made with tahini, powdered sugar and butter, and may optionally be served with Antep pistachios or walnuts.
Each variety has a specified weight and baking time. For example, chicken breast and minced meat pidés are baked for 5–7 minutes, while tahini pide requires only 3–5 minutes. Once baked, the pidés are brushed with butter and served immediately without resting.
The production of Karacasu Pide must use meat obtained from calves raised on pastures within the Karacasu district and its surrounding areas. Due to the knowledge and skill required throughout the production process, all stages must take place within the defined geographical boundary.
Monitoring of the product is carried out by a minimum three-member board composed of representatives from the Karacasu Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen, the municipal authority, the university and the district directorate of agriculture. Inspections are conducted at least once per year, and frequency may be increased if deemed necessary. Inspection criteria include dough and filling weights, baking time, oven construction and the correct use of the geographical indication mark.
Product Characteristics
Preparation Method
Geographical Boundary and Production Conditions
Monitoring
