Pita

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Pita (disambiguation).

Pita (also called pitta (British English) or pita bread, Arabic كماج Kmaj or خبز عربي, Cyrillic пита, Greek πίτα, Hebrew פִּתָּה or פיתה Pitta, Romanian pită, Turkish pide bread) is a round, wheat flatbread made with yeast. Pita, as well as other double-layered flat or pocket bread is traditional in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines from North Africa through the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula to India and Afghanistan and is believed to have originated in Ancient Syria. It is also commonly called Lebanese, Syrian or Arabic bread, especially in the Arab world, and communities with Arab immigrant populations.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Eating habits 3 Sandwich Controversy 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Etymology

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of the word in English was in 1951, with references to Balkan, Greek, and especially Arab cuisine in the next two decades. The American Heritage Dictionary traces the word's origin to modern Greek for "pie," "cake," or "bread;" Webster's Unabridged Dictionary attributes it to the Hebrew פת (pat), for "loaf" or "morsel." The word pita (as פיתא) exists in the Aramaic of the Babylonian Talmud, referring to bread in general. Another possible etymology is from a Romanian archaic word for bread", pită. An alternative etymology traces the word to a cognate for pine pitch, which form flat layers that may resemble pita bread, which in turn may share an origin with pizza (Italian, "pie").

[edit] Eating habits

Pita is used to scoop sauces or dips such as hummus and to wrap sandwiches such as kebabs, gyros or falafel. Most pita breads are baked at high temperatures (+700°F/+370°C) causing the flattened rounds of dough to puff up dramatically. When removed from the oven, the baked dough remains separated inside the deflated pita, which allows pita bread to be sliced and opened into pockets, creating a space for use in various dishes.

In modern history (in the 1970s) much of pita's popularity in the Western world is due to this pocket. Instead of using pita to scoop foods, the pocket is filled with various ingredients to form a sandwich. These are sometimes called "pita pockets" or "pocket pitas". Certain manufacturers have taken steps in packaging to clarify the difference between pita (which has no pocket, and historically meant flat) and pita pita (wuk nuk) pockets (which have pockets).

In Turkey, pita (called pide) is used to make a pizza-like food called Lahmacun. Pide dough is shaped like a canoe and topped with meats, vegetables, and sometimes egg, then cooked in a fire-oven. It is occasionally eaten with raw greens. During Ramadan, a form of pide is sold in place of traditional Turkish bread; it is topped with sesame and black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds.

In Britain, the word "pita" is sometimes loosely used for naan or Arabic khubz, since they are similar in function and appearance.

In Bulgarian cuisine, pita is the type of bread served when a special occasion occurs. Its preparation and consumption have ritual meaning. For example, on the night before Christmas eve,(Bulgarian: Бъдни вечер - badni vecher) each housewife prepares a pita and decorates it with symbols which would bring fertility to the cattle and a rich harvest from the fields, as well as prosperity to each member of the household. She hides a nickel in it, and it is believed that whoever finds it in their piece will be the healthiest and the wealthiest of the family. Prior to marriage, a bride's future mother-in-law prepares a pita for the newlyweds and sifts it seven times, so the pita will be feathery as their future life together. Pita is also prepared when dear guests are expected. A traditional welcome in Bulgaria includes pita and salt or honey. The meaning of this ritual can be found in the expression "to welcome someone with bread and salt" (since bread is an important part of the Bulgarian cuisine - and as a Bulgarian proverb says, "no one is bigger than the bread", and the salt is the basic ingredient that gives flavour to every meal). This is how the hosts show that the guests are desired and that they wish to share their meal with them.

[edit] Sandwich Controversy

As pitas are envelopes of bread, any dish made containing pitas may be loosely considered a sandwich. This classification has caused bickering in online and other communities; the sandwichness of pita dishes such as gyros remains unclear at this moment. In fact, the unleavened nature of the pita has introduced a whole new level to the debate. [1]

[edit] See also

• Banitsa (pastry)

[edit] External links

• Greek salad pita pockets recipe
• Etymology of "pita"
• Pita Recipe